Amarillo College Ranger

Issue date: 3/29/07 Section: Religion & Politics

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Gov. Rick Perry's recent proposal to force sixth grade girls to get the HPV vaccine may look good at first glance, but is it a violation of a person's rights?

Human papillomavirus, commonly referred to as HPV, is running rampant in the United States. An estimated 50 percent of sexually active people are infected with the disease, and statistics show that the problem is only going to get worse.

I'm not saying a vaccine is a bad idea or even that I'd be against obtaining it myself, but when the government decides to force people to do things like this to their bodies, I see it as intrusive and unconstitutional.

In the past, vaccines have helped to wipe out diseases such as polio and smallpox. But there's a difference between those diseases and HPV. With HPV, a person is infected through sexual contact, which is a choice he or she makes. It's not like it's an airborne pathogen forcing its way into people.

The reason I think it's wrong to force something like this upon people is not because I think people deserve to get viruses. It's because people should have the right to decide if they want the vaccine or not. It's not up to the government to barge into the lives of sixth graders and force Gardasil, the HPV vaccine, upon them. Also, shouldn't the parents of the girls have a say so?

The newness of the vaccine is another concern. Do we really know how effective Gardasil is? Furthermore, do we know all the side effects it could bring? Until further testing in this area has been done, I think this legislation should be put on hold.

Probably the most important factor that rings in my mind when it comes to getting the HPV vaccine is this: Who's going to pay for it? It's obvious that taxpayers inevitably will pick up the tab. It is not the responsibility of taxpayers to pay the price for a sex-hungry generation.

Abortion advocates always have stated that the government has no right to decide what a woman can or cannot do to her body. Why isn't the same logic being applied to this situation?

Of course, after further testing is done and the vaccine proves itself to be safe, it might be a good idea for women and girls to obtain Gardisil. But the government should not play a role in the decision to obtain it.

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