Still Hating America.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
So I have this problem.

The Republican governor of our state went ahead last week and issued an executive order mandating that girls going into sixth grade be innoculated from HPV.

This order happens to be a cash cow for Merck, since the vaccine goes for about $300 a pop.

Merck and the governor are tight enough, though I don't think that the $6,000 in Merck gave last year is enough to sway this sort of decision, to raise eyebrows on the issue.

Republicans are pissed. Pissed, I tell you. There are angry letters being written as I speak. You see, vaccination will promote promiscuity* and if girls get the vaccine then they'll think that it's ok to go out and have sex 24/7, because they're now protected from a sexually trasmitted disease that causes 70% of cervical cancers. The governor says that parents can opt out for health, moral or religious reasons, so if there's a chastity belt already in place, then no worries.

This is where I start to squirm, though. Because, though I firmly believe that this is a good idea and the Republican pro-cancer legislators' points aren't valid, I'm a little irritated that the legislative process wasn't really brought into play. And the Republican legislators have a point there.** This is a policy decision that needs to be tweaked a little before being implemented, especially if public dollars are going to be spent on the project.

Damn my belief in governement and process getting the way in a result I want!

*Motherfucking assholes. I'm sure I didn't need to say it, but I needed to say it.

**'course, none of them bitched a few years go when the Governor issued an executive order regarding the 65% rule on money in the classroom. But kids weren't having sex then.

I am not generally fond of laws to protect us from ourselves, especially one's that mandate the use of new drugs. I'm not ready to conclude any drug is truly safe until it has been used for at least a generation.

I can see a law to mandate coverage for those who want the drug, but why force the drug on people unless you're trying to prevent something contagious, where one person getting the disease puts many others at risk? And I don't believe cervical cancer is one of those.

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
This is a policy decision that needs to be tweaked a little before being implemented, especially if public dollars are going to be spent on the project.

Is that really the problem? What kind of tweaking saves it from the fundamental problem G3 notes? The only viable alternative is to have an opt-in instead of an opt-out sytem (that is, if you're going to do it at all).

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy
I am not generally fond of laws to protect us from ourselves, especially one's that mandate the use of new drugs. I'm not ready to conclude any drug is truly safe until it has been used for at least a generation.

I can see a law to mandate coverage for those who want the drug, but why force the drug on people unless you're trying to prevent something contagious, where one person getting the disease puts many others at risk? And I don't believe cervical cancer is one of those.

Well, HPV is contagious. Not in the same way that polio is, but it's certainly a very easily sexually transmitted disease.

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)
Is that really the problem? What kind of tweaking saves it from the fundamental problem G3 notes? The only viable alternative is to have an opt-in instead of an opt-out sytem (that is, if you're going to do it at all).

You have a $300 drug and you want to mandate it goes to every girl in the state at x age, someone's going to have to pay for it. And this is a state that kicked 150,000 kids off of CHIPS four years ago for lack of funding.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally posted by notcasesensitive
I just wonder why he didn't include himself in the question.

The answer, inevitably, for most people here will be "far fewer than Penske's".

I don't know how he sleeps at night.

[Spanky]

Originally posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy
I am not generally fond of laws to protect us from ourselves, especially one's that mandate the use of new drugs. I'm not ready to conclude any drug is truly safe until it has been used for at least a generation.

I can see a law to mandate coverage for those who want the drug, but why force the drug on people unless you're trying to prevent something contagious, where one person getting the disease puts many others at risk? And I don't believe cervical cancer is one of those.

I believe the drug is to prevent the HPV virus, which is contagious. Women that get HPV have a much higher chance of getting Cervicle cancer. I believe HPV is just another way of saying Genital Warts.

[SlaveNoMore]

Replaced_Texan
Well, HPV is contagious. Not in the same way that polio is, but it's certainly a very easily sexually transmitted disease.

Um, doesn't practically everyone that went to college after 1983 have it?

[SlaveNoMore]

notcasesensitive
I just wonder why he didn't include himself in the question.

Back then - unlike now - my posts weren't tripe.

[Adder]

Originally posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy
I am not generally fond of laws to protect us from ourselves, especially one's that mandate the use of new drugs. I'm not ready to conclude any drug is truly safe until it has been used for at least a generation.

I can see a law to mandate coverage for those who want the drug, but why force the drug on people unless you're trying to prevent something contagious, where one person getting the disease puts many others at risk? And I don't believe cervical cancer is one of those.

um.. huh? It is something contageous. Seems like a pretty straight forward application of public health policy to me. State want to try to get rid of HPV (rather like was done with polio). Seems like something a state can (and probably should) chose to do. And I'm not sure why the legislature would need to be involved in that decision unless moneys need to be appropriated.

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
Well, HPV is contagious. Not in the same way that polio is, but it's certainly a very easily sexually transmitted disease.

But only if you have sex. It's not like whooping cough or measles where you can get it just by being in the proximity of another person.

(as a technical medical matter, apparently it's infectious, but not contagious. dictionary.com

[notcasesensitive]

Originally posted by sebastian_dangerfield
I don't know how he sleeps at night.

I don't know if he sleeps at night. I'm pretty sure he's online trying to get however-many-fectas while we're all sleeping.

[Spanky]

Originally posted by SlaveNoMore
Um, doesn't practically everyone that went to college after 1983 have it?

OK now you are scaring me. Isn't HPV visible? Could I have it but just not be able to see it? How do you find out if you have it?

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
You have a $300 drug and you want to mandate it goes to every girl in the state at x age, someone's going to have to pay for it. And this is a state that kicked 150,000 kids off of CHIPS four years ago for lack of funding.

I'm not saying it's a bad expenditure of money. The question is whether it should be mandatory.

[SlaveNoMore]

sebastian_dangerfield
I don't know how he sleeps at night.

Presumably cold. And alone.

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by Spanky
OK now you are scaring me. Isn't HPV visible? Could I have it but just not be able to see it? How do you find out if you have it?

Have Slave show you his dick.