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alp227

(31,962 posts)
Wed Jul 18, 2012, 02:57 AM Jul 2012

Schools deny girls cervical cancer jabs on religious grounds (in UK)

Schoolgirls are being denied a potentially life-saving cervical cancer jab at their schools on religious grounds.

Some schools in England have opted out of the HPV vaccination programme because their pupils follow strict Christian principles and do not have sex outside marriage. The jab guards against two strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV) virus – 16 and 18 – which cause 70% of cases of cervical cancer. It is offered routinely to girls aged 12 to 13.

But an investigation by GP magazine found 24 schools in 83 of England's 152 primary care trust (PCT) areas were opting out of the vaccination programme, many of them on religious grounds.

The magazine found the majority of schools opting out did not tell their local GPs, where the girls could be offered the vaccine.

full: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/jul/18/cervical-cancer-vaccine-schoolgirls-religion

the GP article: http://www.gponline.com/News/article/1141051/exclusive-gps-not-told-school-hpv-opt-outs/

I have no idea if any non-religious schools opted out under community pressure.

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