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Christianity Today, March (Web-only), 2007 |

Speaking Out

'Tell Someone'? We Tried

Yes, HPV causes cervical cancer. Why did people scoff eight years ago, when we wanted to warn them?

Gina R. Dalfonzo | posted 3/22/2007 09:01AM

You've probably seen the commercials. Over the last few months, it's been almost impossible not to see them. They parade endlessly across our screens—a multitude of women of all ages, from all backgrounds—and ...

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J.S.	Posted: March 27, 2007 1:18 PM

The bottom-line for me is that this is a vaccine against cancer. If you could give your daughter a vaccine against the disease, wouldn't you? Why does it matter where the cancer is or that it can be caused by sexual activity? I am using this vaccine in my own life to prevent the disease. I was a virgin until I recently married. My husband & I are both on staff at a Bible-believing & teaching church. When he was a teenager & not following Christ, many years before we met, he chose to become sexually involved with his girlfriend. One other partner, that's all. But that's all it takes. I have no doubt that my husband is who God intended for me to marry & spend the rest of my life with. I had no part in pre-marital sex, but I will forever be aware of what his choices as a teenager could mean for the health of both our bodies. Surely, I am not & will not be the only fully-devoted follower of Christ that chose to remain pure until marriage yet has a spouse with a different past.

Bob R.

Posted: March 27, 2007 7:58 AM

Right on Mike Airhart! So much of the time the message is ignored because of the manner in which it is given or because people see the cultural warfare taking place beneath the surface of the message. The motivation of the drug companies for their fear-promoting messages is not all that pure either. However, when the boogie-man is a self-righteous, judgmental person or organization, anxiety about one's health is the last thing that is likely to be stirred in the ears of the hearer. The other embedded message is just too loud. It is really too bad that the big drug companies are more believable than the individuals and organizations who are pushing their not-so-hidden moral agenda.

Marie C.

Posted: March 23, 2007 9:40 AM

Abstinence is the best protection, bar none. It is too bad that the most vocal proponents for abstinence have so little time for actual education. In the US, cervical cancer is NOT even close to the second cause of cancer death among women- think lung, breast and colon, etc. You might not have said it, but you cited it. And why does your desire for knowledge to young people only extend to your moral convictions? Surely ALL knowledge should be distributed- abstinence is best, but condoms are better than nothing if you make the decision to have sex. Definitely whiny- poor baby, no one listened, what a load of garbage. So, you cannot get your message out unless someone prints it on a condom wrapper? How limited are your creative powers? Give me a break. You do NOTHING to appeal to people actually struggling with these ideas, all you do is preach to the choir. How difficult is that?

H. D. Schmidt

Posted: March 23, 2007 6:29 AM


Will someone please explain to me what America wants to teach the Iraquis at gun point, while George W. constantly asks God to bless America with claims to take freedom there and over all the world? It seems to me that America is insulting God and stabbing Christianity through its very heart the more one sees, reads and hears?

Nancy W.

Posted: March 22, 2007 3:49 PM

I’m all for virginity, but Dalfonzo sounds whiny. I married 25 years ago as a virgin, and our daughter, 18, has decided to keep sex for marriage as well. She also chose, with our full approval, to have the vaccine. We have no concern that she will take our endorsement as a license for premarital sex. She says that our having taught her to think for herself and to respect herself is the best abstinence education available. Christians should be the first to advocate for education and making informed decisions. Why shouldn’t our daughters avail themselves of the best medical care available? Comments like Maher’s leave Christians open to the perception that, like the Pharisees, we care more about legalistic morality than about human well-being. Let’s take pains not to spread the original lie in Eden that God is a kill-joy. Help our culture understand that good moral choices are good partly because they lead to health and well-being, not simply because they fulfill a repressive agenda.

Mike Airhart

Posted: March 22, 2007 2:17 PM

The lesson to be learned is not "our society will gravitate toward any message that endorses sexuality unencumbered by biblical morality." This is false. The lesson is to base our health decisions upon sound medicine, not cultural warfare of the left and right. Abstinence is of course the safest approach and should be encouraged, but for those young adults who decline abstinence for religious or social reasons, an HPV vaccine AND condoms are essential fallbacks to protect the public against the spread of a range of deadly diseases.

Lynne Eldridge M.D.

Posted: March 22, 2007 1:59 PM

There is more we need to tell, that I am afraid is overshadowed everywhere I look, by the vaccine controversy. HPV is now felt to be responsible for around 25 percent of oral cancers in the U.S. I have not seen anything recommending people see their dentists regularly and be screened for this. Vaccine or not, there are still many women in the over 26 category who are at risk. If someone develops an infection with HPV, there are measures they can take to lower their risk of developing cancer, in addition to regular Pap smears. Smoking increases the risk associated with HPV. A study published in Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention showed that a diet high in lutein/zeanthin, beta-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, vitamin C and vitamin A hastened clearance of the virus. Substituting sanitary napkins for tampons can also hasten clearance. Lynne Eldridge M.D. Author, "Avoiding Cancer One Day At A Time" http://www.avoidcancernow.com

Anonymous

Posted: March 22, 2007 12:50 PM

I am not always for vaccines and I haven't decided about the HPV vaccine but, here is my story. When I married several years ago I was a virgin. My husband had been married once before. I now have HPV. The doctors say it is likely because of his first wives lifestyle however, they have said, now, several times, that HPV can be spread by things like sitting on a toilet! Should the innocent be protected? Unfortunately many innocent people are diagnosed daily with STD's. Now, we are all born sinners but, these people have done nothing to deserve what has happened to them. Did you know that the current test for HPV does not typically work for men, and is not always accurate in women? The person that gives HPV to the other person may never know they have had a problem, only a handful of people ever end up with the problems and health issues that it can cause. Most people's immune system fights the disease.

Beth Nealon

Posted: March 22, 2007 12:18 PM


I'm against mandating the vaccine, but assuming they do, why don't they mandate the vaccine for boys too? They won't be able to pass on the virus to the girls they would otherwise infect. And how is it that the same people who are so ready to judge the pharmaceutical companies in some other case don't have the least suspicion or reservation when it comes to this vaccine?

Karen Helsel

Posted: March 22, 2007 11:35 AM

In the 80s I met a prostitute in Bangkok, where we served as missionaries, suffering from stage 4 cervical cancer. Her boyfriend's mother, who attended a Bible study I led, introduced us...the mother wanted me to share the gospel with her before she lost her life. HVP, HIV, and other sexually transmitted viruses were not discussed, were hidden, and were rampant. When I returned to the US, I met woman after woman in churches where I worked, and in other places, who were suffering...women who were married and thinking they were safe. As a pastor doing pre-marital counseling, I hear this question: "should we get tested for HIV?" We must be diligent, loving, confrontive, and life-saving as ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Karen McClelland-Cohen

Posted: March 22, 2007 11:33 AM

I must disagree that the HPV shot be voluntary. When I married thirty years ago, I had never had sex. My first marriage of seven years ended because my husband had numerous affairs. After the divorce I found out I had early stage cervical cancer. I had never been unfaithful, but my spouse had. I was lucky to have laser surgery and to go on and remarry, having two sons. I could have died, however, through no fault of my own. My husband for the past twenty-one years is a physician and recommends the HPV vaccine whenever a parent asks. My case is the exact reason for the states to mandate it for all kids, both girls and boys.

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