All 13 of Indiana's female state senators are backing a proposal that would require girls to get vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV) before they begin sixth grade. Under SB 327, the Gardasil vaccine, which protects against strains of the STD responsible for most cases of cervical cancer, would be added to a list of booster shots children must receive before middle school. However, schools could not turn away girls who did not receive Gardasil, as is the case for other required shots.

The proposal has the support of many state health officials and school nurses. Critics are troubled by the high cost to taxpayers, an estimated $2.7 million for the 2008-09 school year, and the potential message it sends to girls. "This says, 'Hey, you can engage in sexual activity and not be at risk for this disease,' which is pretty pervasive," said American Family Association of Indiana Director Micah Clark. "Without an abstinence message, it could offer some false hope that you're invincible against this disease, and you're not."

Sen. Connie Lawson (R-Danville), the bill's sponsor, acknowledged this concern but said parents and pediatricians must explain that it is a vaccine against cancer. "It's not about promiscuity," she said. "If I am a female and I remain abstinent until I get married, there's no guarantee that the man that I marry will not have HPV."

The cost of vaccination is problematic for Greg Zimet, an Indiana University professor of pediatrics and clinical psychology. Some health insurers are not covering Gardasil, he noted: "It's an expensive vaccine, and you're faced with uneven financing issues."

Indianapolis Star (01.18.07):: Staci Hupp

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Chlamydia  - Urine PCR    

• 3 million Americans are infected with Chlamydia each year.

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• Chlamydia  infection is treatable and curable

• most people with Chlamydia are not aware of their infections and do not seek testing. 

• three quarters of infected women and half of infected men have no symptoms

• Chlamydia is a leading cause of early infant pneumonia and conjunctivitis

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