STD vaccines are in the works

Several experimental vaccines to prevent sexually transmitted diseases are in the works, but they face opposition from some parents and right-wing government officials who say that because the shots are intended for children, they will encourage sexual activity among young people, the Chicago Tribune reports. By the end of the year, the first human papillomavirus vaccine could be submitted to the Food and Drug Administration for approval. HPV has been linked with virtually all cases of cervical cancer and also can cause anal and genital warts. Experimental vaccines to prevent herpes simplex virus type 2 also are in clinical trials, and shots to prevent gonorrhea and chlamydia are in development.

Advocates say giving the vaccines to children or adolescents would help prevent infection with the STDs, many of which carry significant health risks, such as cervical cancer or damage to the reproductive system. But conservatives say eliminating the risks of STD infection could encourage more teenagers to engage in sexual activity. "[STDs] in the United States will not be contained by injecting vaccines into pre-adolescents in anticipation of promiscuous behavior," Scott Phelps, executive director of Abstinence and Marriage Education Partnerships, told the Tribune.

The antigay right-wing group Family Research Council initially called an HPV vaccine “a license to engage in premarital sex,” but it has since changed its position to oppose only mandatory vaccination against the STD because of the vaccine’s ability to prevent cervical cancer.

Vaccine developers say the injections are not meant to replace educating children about sexual activity, including teaching young adults to remain abstinent or practice safer sex if they do become sexually active. “For most parents, the moral decision is to protect their children” from potentially dangerous diseases, Gregory Zimet, a professor of pediatrics at the Indiana University School of Medicine who has studied parents’ views of STD vaccines, told the Tribune. A study in the September edition of the Journal of Adolescent Health shows that most parents would allow their children to be vaccinated against STDs. (Advocate.com)