So it's no surprise that with the introduction of the first vaccine to prevent cervical cancer caused by human papillomavirus, or HPV, comes waves of protest.
On Thursday the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, approved Merck & Co., Inc.'s vaccine for use in children and women ages 9 to 26.
The vaccine, however, makes proponents of abstinence from sex until marriage wonder what effect the medical contribution will have on sexuality.
But preventing the infection of more women is far more important than any obligation to moral standards.
It seems those against issuing the vaccine value abstinence so much that the idea of preventing the incidence of this type of cancer is null.
Much like the debates surrounding contraception, those against issuing the vaccine think that it will influence young women to become more sexually active because of the belief that they won't be at risk for acquiring forms of HPV.
But if young women are given proper sexual education, they should understand that HPV is only one of many risks that come hand-in-hand with sexual intercourse. Still, the current risk for acquiring HPV is startling.
According to the National Institutes of Health, HPV is one of the most common causes of sexually transmitted infection in the world.
Although there are more than 100 different types of HPV, most are harmless. Approximately 5.5 million new cases of sexually transmitted HPV infections are reported every year, and at least 20 million people in the United States are already infected, according to the American Social Health Association.
With such a high infection rate, inoculating people with some forms of the virus is necessary and will decrease future trends concerning HPV.
More importantly, the vaccine is designed to prevent HPV which can increase the chance of cervical cancer. This year alone 4,400 women will die from cervical cancer in the United States.
On a larger scale, there are women throughout the world who don't have access to Pap tests — exams given by gynecologists that test for cervical cancer.
If the vaccine is made as accessible as others, like vaccines against polio and smallpox, it could save more lives around the world.
If there were an effective vaccine for preventing lung cancer, it seems predictable that the majority of society would agree with health officials that such a product should be used.
The only difference in regard to this particular vaccine is its link to sexual intercourse.
Morals aside, the fact is that any provision made to decrease the rate of any cancer should be pursued and utilized.
