It was a bad week for those, like the Family Research Council and Concerned Women for America, who have been leading campaigns to discourage parents from vaccinating their daughters against the HPV virus, the sole source of cervical cancer. Epidemiologists have now discovered the HPV virus present "under fingernails" indicating the sexual activity may not be its only, or even primary, path of transmission. According to the researchers, the results could help explain why HPV infection has been found in infants and young girls who had not become sexually active. Lead author of the study, Laura Koutsky of University of Washington, explains that this finding should "give pause to those arguing" against an HPV vaccine from a "moral" perspective. "Basically, it's not just about sex," Koutsky said, "You have to know how people [contract HPV] in order to prevent it." With this continued opposition to the HPV vaccine, the Christian Right is really staking out the pro-cancer territory all for itself.

In other news, The New York Times reports on when abstinence-only goes to college. Apparently, a group call the Ansombe Society (named after Elizabeth Anscombe, a British analytic philosopher who argued for chastity outside of marriage) has founded chapters at MIT, Princeton and soon Yale. The group's aim is to encourage abstinence among the college-aged and discourage contraceptive use. I've never quite figured out why abstinence cheerleaders feel compelled to argue against contraception. If they fail to convince someone to abstain their alternative is to propose risky sex? Seems like bad advice from beginning to end.

And while we're on abstinence, this week the House passed HR 3162 which, according to Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Briefing, would allow states to "have the option to accept funds for abstinence-only sex education programs or for programs that promote abstinence and also teach those who are currently sexually active or at risk of sexual activity about additional methods to prevent unintended pregnancy or reduce health risks." The bill requires all programs that receive funding to provide medically accurate information (that should unnerve the abstinence-only crowd sufficiently). While the bill routes funds to failed abstinence-only programs at a price tag of $50 million annually, it also allows states to provide family planning services without receiving federal approval. Bush promised to veto it, natch.

Also this week, I blogged for the Huffington Post for the first time. My piece about many of the Presidential candidates' extreme views on contraception teased out some great comments from readers too.

That's it for this week, peace out girl scouts!