The use of a new vaccine which prevents cervical cancer has been condemned by a Christian prayer and lobby group.
Gardasil is almost 100% effective against Human Papilloma Virus, the main cause of cervical cancer, which can be fatal, and genital warts. It is now being prescribed in
Britain
, with calls for the 'wonder drug' to be administered wholesale to school-girls.
Cervical cancer charity Jo's Trust has called for a nation-wide programme of vaccination in secondary schools to be launched by the end of the year, even though no tests have been done on girls of that age and long-term side-effects are as yet unknown.
Stephen Green, National Director of Christian Voice, said today:
'The best way of not getting cervical cancer and genital warts is to stay a virgin and marry a virgin. Why don't these officials want young people to do that? Why don't we raise their expectations and ours and treat them with some respect?'
'I expect school health outreach workers from Primary Care Trusts and the like will be giving Gardasil to young girls behind their parents' backs. Since the vaccine works best before the onset of sexual activity, they will be treating these girls, to put it bluntly, like tarts, saying they are sexually incontinent, lacking in self-respect and the basic morality required to keep their virginity.
'The message is one of despair, disrespect and low expectations. Anyone giving this drug to a girl is telling her: "I think you are a slag".
'But it is also irresponsible and will raise promiscuity, teenage pregnancy and, worst of all, infertility. Young women will be thinking they have more protection than they actually have. No-one will bother to warn them that they are not protected against Chlamydia and that even condoms offer barely any protection against sexually-transmitted diseases either. Chlamydia is already affecting one in ten teenagers. That figure is set to rise as a result of Gardasil, and infertility will rise with it.
'I have a horrible feeling that as all the targets to do with teenage sexual activity are based around pregnancy, those in power won't care if more young people become infertile, because they won't figure in the pregnancy statistics.
'Gardasil is going to leave misery in its wake.'
ENDS
