GIVE ME A BREAK: Some people are against the cervical cancer vaccine because it could lead to more sex. Coming soon: New “helmets” opposed because they lead to more motorcycle riding . . . .

With both, there’s a legitimate question about whether it should be mandatory, of course. But I don’t think that’s really what’s motivating this.

UPDATE: Blogs4God writes:

Folks, I have to agree on this one. This isn’t like handing out condoms to under-aged kids without their parent’s knowledge and/or consent. This is a reasonable preventative measure for an opportunistic killer – specifically the second most common cancer in women worldwide and the leading cause of cancer-related death in women in underdeveloped countries.

Indeed.

ANOTHER UPDATE:

I didn’t mention this in the original piece, but there is sometimes an undercurrent of punitive prudery running through these arguments. One can make a good-faith argument against the vaccine, but sometimes people do seem to be thinking, way back in their skulls, “Well, you’re a dirty whore. A little cervical cancer’ll learn ya.”

Again, not to indulge in ascribing bad faith to any particular opponent, and certainly not to opponents in general. There are good arguments to be made on both sides of most hot-button social issues. I’m just saying that sometimes, from some, I get the vibe that unwanted pregnancy, AIDS, and even cervical cancer can serve as useful object lessons for women of easy virtue.

Indeed.