Perry Flip-Flops On HPV Vaccine

One of the few admirable accomplishments of Texas Gov. Rick Perry's regime was his (short-lived) mandate that middle school girls receive the vaccine for HPV, which is known to cause cervical cancer in later life. But now that Perry is running for president, he's surrendered to the Christianists who claim that preventing STDs encourages promiscuity.

“I made a mistake on that,” Perry said on Iowa radio, later calling it “an error in not having a conversation with the people of the state of Texas.” Perry's decision as governor in 2007 to implement mandatory human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations for sixth grade girls took heat from conservatives who faulted Perry for undermining parental authority, implicitly condoning sexual activity and pushing his own agenda. The HPV decision is one of the few failing grades that conservatives have given Perry’s record on social issues. Since hitting the presidential campaign trail on Saturday, Perry has taken several questions regarding the decision. Perry issued an executive decision in early 2007 forcing the vaccine mandate into law despite the opposition of the Texas legislature. The legislature overturned the law a few months later.

HPV causes 70% of all cases of cervical cancer. But hey, that's better than being a slut.