Gardasil

Although sometimes we here at Shine question certain studies (like you know, ones that say smart ladies can't have orgasms), this one is legitimate and very, very serious. The latest news is that HPV (or human papillomavirus) has now been linked to lung cancer, which is just one more organ in a long list of ones susceptible to cancer caused by this extremely common STD (it's primarily known to cause cervical cancer, but new findings also link it to penile, vulva, vaginal and anal cancers). HPV is so very common, in fact, that yet another well established study found that one in four teenage girls are infected with the disease, making it a substantial, life-threatening epidemic. According to the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, 20 million (20 MILLION) Americans have HPV, and 6.2 million become infected each year.

The wonderful news is that it can now be prevented. Last year, the FDA approved the Merck vaccination Gardasil which is now widely available. Unfortunately some conservative groups and activists say that vaccinating their sons and daughters against the dangerous, cancer-causing disease is tantamount to making condoms accessible to teens and encourages promiscuity. This is not only ludicrous, it strikes me as very possibly insane... Read More »