Reply #136: funny what no one says

[iverglas]

To suggest that A) the vaccine is the only way to prevent HPV

Like that. No one said it.

It is the only way to protect against HPV infection without (a) abstaining, or (b) practising no-fail condom use. And as I never tire of pointing out, neither of them is an option for women and girls who are sexually assaulted, as a very large proportion of women will be, at least once, in their lifetime.

HPV can be prevented by the use of condoms

HPV can be prevented by the use of condoms (a) IF all girls and women are in a position to enforce condom use, and (b) IF condoms never fail.

Otherwise, i.e. in the real world, HPV CANNOT be prevented by the use of condoms, although the prevalence of HPV in a population, and any individual's risk of infection, can be reduced by their use.


To suggest that ... B) I wish to see an end to the option of getting a vaccine

Don't recall saying that, either.


I don't support mandates, neither did the primary researcher involved in the development of the vaccine.

The public policy views of a scientist are not generally relevant to public policy on science.

And again, something we both know perfectly well: in the US, without mandatory vaccination, the vaccination will not be available to large numbers of girls at the age when it should be administered.

You really do know as well as I do that this has been the impetus behind the "mandate": to ensure that girls can obtain the vaccine regardless of insurance coverage or ability to pay.


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