Countering the rhetoric and politics of the Religious Right on HPV prevention

The introduction of a vaccine that can prevent transmission of the human papillomavirus (HPV) and reduce the risk of cervical cancer was a major public health advance of 2006. It was also a new opportunity for leaders of the Religious Right to suggest that “safer sex” public health measures – including mandating HPV vaccinations and promoting condom use – will only encourage dangerous promiscuity among teenagers and violate parental prerogatives to shield their children from comprehensive sex education.

This presentation will trace the recent history of religious conservatives' opposition to HPV prevention measures. It will discuss the outcry from conservative leaders in 2007 over state mandates for HPV vaccination of girls, outlining the key messages and strategies being used by the Religious Right. For example, it will analyze the messages of groups like the Concerned Women of America who spoke out against the Texas state mandate.

The presentation will then review and assess the effectiveness of the strategies being used by public health and reproductive health organizations to make the HPV vaccine more widely available while countering the rhetoric of the Religious Right. The topics to be addressed will include: Are state HPV vaccine mandates the best measures to promote, or do proposed mandates risk inflaming the Religious Right? If mandates are proposed, should they include parental op-outs or opt-ins. If opt-outs, for what reasons? What other public policies can be effective in ensuring wider availability of the HPV vaccine? The presentation will conclude with suggested policy proposals and messages.