GARDASIL and Better Homes and Gardens Being Irresponsible

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When I first saw this ad in the November issue of Better Homes and Gardens, I thought it was for some dental treatment that makes your child and the whole family happy. Wrong. It's for a drug to stop cervical cancer, genital warts and other disease one may get as a result of contracting HPV, Human Papillo Virus.

HPV is a sexually transmitted disease, as in STD. It is not some casual virus where people just have to cover their mouths when they sneeze so they don't get it. No, it requires one to be sexually active.

This ad implies that having sex outside of marriage at a very young age is the norm. Now maybe it is, but it is not one that should be promoted.

It is everyone's responsibility to enforce the notion that pre-marital sex is not a good idea, especially when you're 10 years old, like the children appear to be in this ad.

GARDASIL and Better Homes and Gardens are being irresponsible here, in the way they have chosen to advertise. It is not unlikely that a young child might peruse this magazine and come across this ad, which implies, "Go ahead, have sex, we'll be there for you afterward."

I think they, and all similar ads, should have to do what cigarette ads do. Warn people that sexual activity outside of marriage, especially at very young ages, can result in psychological problems later on, never mind that it can result in parenthood.

Do you want your 10 year-old to think this is cool?


For more information, go to Centers of Disease Control and Prevention


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image - Better Homes and Garden Magazine, November 2010


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