Jeopardising their health

For me, the most troubling aspect of the conservative Catholic stance is the belief that it is perfectly appropriate to jeopardise a young woman’s physical health, and even her life, if it means protecting her supposed “moral health”. Better cancer than sex, apparently.

But in light of this new research, what will Church leaders say about men and Gardasil? Will they also attempt to deny young men a drug that could possibly prevent them from developing throat cancer? Will they stand by the logic that by denying young people access to sexual health tools they are doing them a favour because they are diminishing their desire and inclination to have sex? Do they really think that unvaccinated men are going to turn down fellatio and refuse to perform oral sex on their girlfriends (or their boyfriends) for fear of developing throat cancer? Are they really that out of touch?

And if young unvaccinated men are unlikely to abstain from sex, why would we assume that unvaccinated women would behave any differently?

I recently attended the State Funeral of revered head and neck surgeon, Professor Chris O’Brien. Cardinal George Pell was presiding over the service. I wondered what the good doctor would have thought about the Catholic Church’s position on Gardasil, given that he dedicated his own life to treating illnesses which included throat cancer. I wonder what he would have had to say about this matter, in light of his own tragic struggle with cancer. Whatever his position, I bet he would not want any others to suffer as he did.