A recent facebook discussion I had about HPV and ORAL CANCER has got me to thinking. I was just thinking about how we should (if we feel so led--I know not everyone is as open about sharing their thoughts as me, and I think there is nothing wrong with that) be willing to talk more about sexual topics. It would be ONE thing if NOBODY talked about it, but the problem is that there are MANY VERY VOCAL people talking about it in what I think is a very perverted and dangerous way. The BAD messages are EVERYWHERE! TV, movies, newspapers, magazines (checkout line magazine stand headlines!), radio, song lyrics, classmates, teachers, even other parents and some PREACHERS are all sources of unwholesome messages about sexuality and sexual practices.
I really feel it is my duty to speak out because if we who know how things SHOULD be are not speaking out because some people think it isn't a topic we should discuss....guess what the ONLY message is going to be spread??? THE ONE THAT IS GOING TO MAKE THINGS WORSE IN THE LONG RUN FOR EVERYONE! I am surprised that people know about the recommendation for Gardasil vaccinations, but nobody seems to be encouraging people to make the vaccination of kids for this sexually transmitted virus totally unnecessary. I do not believe this is a hopeless cause, but it is if nobody is willing to stand up and fight and warn people about the risks they are taking. Just think about what MARGARET SANGER accomplished by taking a stand and speaking out about what she believed. If she can take things in one direction, why wouldn't I want to take them in another direction? We should all have the right to speak out for what we believe in and speak loudly about what will protect our children and grandchildren's hearts, minds, and bodies. "Abstinence Education" CAN work, not perfectly, but it can make a difference if people don't give up. I believe this with all my heart. It may not be enough to say "don't have sex outside of marriage because God says not to" if the person being spoken to has no regard for God, but it may make a difference if you tell them about the BENEFITS of abstaining from sexual activity until marriage and the CONSEQUENCES of continuing to not treat sex with the respect it deserves. God says sex is special but we have cheapened it to the point that it is destroying society in so many ways and it is just getting worse unless those of us who CARE start trying to do something about it. Every time I hear someone say, "that's not the world we live in anymore" I want to scream, "BUT IT SHOULD BE!!! "And this isn't "just" about morals. It is a HUGE public health issue, and it is getting more critical all the time.
April is Oral Cancer Awareness month and I went and got a free oral cancer screening at Belle Forest
Dental in Bellevue the other day. I lectured my kids today (again) on HPV, kissing, oral sex, and cancer. Callie told me that the risk of oral cancer isn't going to stop people from kissing. I told her kissing isn't the problem. If people would be a little discriminating in who they kiss, and even more importantly,who they have sex with---especially oral sex--these cancer rates related to HPV would drop dramatically. I also told them that vaccines aren't the answer--changing behavior is. All that is going to happen with these Gardasil vaccines is that the strains of HPV that the vaccine works against might become less common, but the other 11 or so high risk strains will rush in to fill in the gap. God will not allow people to engage in harmful (physically, emotionally, spiritually) behaviors that he warns against and let people suffer no consequences. If it was good for us, he wouldn't tell us to stay away from it. I don't think kids are being made aware of the harsh reality of the devastating consequences of engaging in sexual behaviors as is most common in today's society. http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/FB-ATSRH.html
Are you more diligent in protecting your computer from destructive viruses than you are in protecting yourself or your child? If you or your child engage in deep kissing and sexual activity (vaginal, anal, oral) with mulitple or "casual" partners, you are setting yourself up for not only for "yucky," but "harmless" warts (google for some nice photos!)
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