There is no doubt that the new cervical cancer vaccine -- Gardasil -- is revolutionary. But writer Peter Sprigg, vice president for policy at the Family Research Council, shared yesterday on the washingtonpost.com that the public should consider two cautions when digesting the news of this breakthrough medical advance. He urges us, first, to understand that the vaccine is not 100 percent effective. It is 100 percent effective for the strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) it targets -- but it leaves 30 percent of HPV strains that cause cervical cancer untouched. And it does not prevent all cases of genital warts either. So it is largely effective. But it does not completely eradicate the disease. Sprigg also believes that parents should determine whether or not their young girls get the vaccine -- that it should not be mandatory. Mandating the vaccine might be in order if HPV was spread through blood or casual contact. But it is not -- it is spread by sexual contact. And families of young girls might best address this issue through education on behavioral issues alone, without interference from the government.
The wonder of the cervical cancer vaccine is not in question by this writer and the council he represents. But there is often a full picture that lingers behind good news and sensational headlines. And Peter Sprigg offers his take on what he believes lingers behind.
Ever since my first son was born and it was clear that my cute, stylish purses would no longer work for all the gear I was about to lug around, I have struggled to find the perfect diaper bag that is big enough and strong enough and comfortable enough and sporty enough. I have tried actual diaper bags and purses I transformed into diaper bags and tote bags -- you name it, I've tried it. And then one day, I figured out the ideal solution -- a backpack. Not a school backpack but a purse that is carried like a backpack. It doesn't weigh me down on one side, it keeps my arms free for mommy tasks -- like controlling flailing babies and toddlers -- and it ties up tightly so little fingers cannot quickly grab and poke and shovel through my things. It's just right -- for me, anyway.
