HPV vaccine approved: Downfall of society reportedly imminent

As I watch an all-star cast discuss the issues of the day -- Kos, Jane Hamsher of FDL, John, and Atrios, with Hunter (DailyKos) moderating -- I'm going to veer from my usual Iraq/intel/foreign policy spiel to link to something which I'm sure will horrify all morally upstanding readers:

The U.S. has approved use of a vaccine for HPV, the most common sexually transmitted disease, which can cause cervical cancer. I have to admit I didn't know before reading this article that cervical cancer is the second-leading cause of death for women worldwide; this has the potential to save over 200,000 lives per year if it is made broadly available.

But HPV is an STD! And we all know that the proper punishment for having sex is slow, agonizing death decades later. Linda Klepacki of Focus on the Family, James Dobson's "let's steal religion for the right wing" outfit, says, "We can prevent it by the best public health method, and that's not having sex before marriage."

Seriously though, I'm not taking a position on sex, but it's my general understanding that many people have it, and since 80% of women have HPV by age 50 -- 80 percent!! -- it's stunning to me that anyone, especially those who call themselves "pro-life," would take any position other than whole-hearted support for the vaccine.

Regardless of a few insane reactions, though, this is great news 99% because of the medical impact and 1% because it exposes the true opinion and agenda of the radicals that have far, far too much influence in contemporary conservatism.