Bill Weintraub:

There's been a LOT in the news about this vaccine.

Among other things, it's been revealed that the manufacturer, Merck, has been lobbying -- that means spreading the moola -- in state capitals to get the vaccine declared mandatory.

Merck just agreed to stop doing that.

Even so, Merck clearly contributed to the frenzy around this vaccine; and, typically, gay males, who have the excess income and a lot of STD, are being caught up in it.

Big pharma knows that gay males are a lucrative and captive market whose "sexual" practices render them vulnerable to this sort of exploitation.

What's the reality?

This vaccine was developed for WOMEN.

To prevent CERVICAL cancer.

Will it work on men?

To prevent ANAL cancer?

No one knows.

Clinical trials are just getting started.

The 365Gay article claims that

Gardasil protects against the sexually transmitted infection, human papillomavirus (HPV). It has been approved for use in males and females from the ages of nine to 26 in the US, Britain and Australia.

That is WRONG.

GARDASIL HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED FOR USE IN MEN IN THE US.

The NY Times, January 30, 2007:

Dr. Eliav Barr, a director of clinical research at Merck, said he had heard that some men were receiving the vaccine, but added that the company was barred from promoting it for men unless the F.D.A. approved it for that use.

That is unlikely to occur for at least a couple of years. Merck is sponsoring a clinical trial of Gardasil in 4,000 men, including 500 self-identified gay men. The first results are expected toward the end of next year.

[emphases mine]

So: The FDA has not approved the vaccine, because there haven't been any clinical trials on MEN.

And it's going to be a couple of years -- if ever -- before approval will come.

Guys -- I see so many errors of FACT like this now in the press that it's truly appalling.

To me, it's the Wikipedia-zation of society's collective consciousness.

Or maybe unconsciousness would be a better term.

Journalists are supposed to check their facts.

And so should you.

And FDA approval is not something that's difficult to check.

So, in the US at least, the vaccine has NOT been approved for use on MEN.

Might it help men?

Yes.

But, as the scientist explained, not if you're already infected.

That's why I counsel you over and over and over again to NOT be promiscuous.

Be FAITHFUL.

To your WARRIOR BROTHER.

That's also why I counsel married men to look for other married men.

Because: "many promiscuous gay men likely already have at least one of the four strains of HPV."

No kidding.

We've been reporting on anal-HPV infection rates among gay males for years.

And they're VERY HIGH.

Chin-Hong et al found in two studies of SF gay men that 95% of the HIV positive were infected with anal HPV; and 57% of the HIV negative were infected with anal HPV.

When you do the math, based on HIV prevalence among MSM, what you get is that 67% of gay men are infected with anal HPV!

And that was a few years back.

As we've seen repeatedly, the prevalence of these infections over time -- skyrockets.

Because more and more men are infected.

As one age cohort gets saturated with a virus -- the next cohort begins to fill up.

That's how it works.

It should also be noted that the four strains of HPV which Gardisil protects against cause, according to the Medical Institute for Sexual Health, which is an abstinence outfit but which I've found to be medically reliable, about 70% of cervical -- and maybe anal -- cancers.

So even if you're vaccinated, you still run a risk from the other strains -- which cause about 30% of these cancers.

The point is that though the vaccine provides a measure of protection -- which is good -- it's not a substitute for responsible sexual behavior.

What about HPV and male circumcision (MC)?

Well, we reported a loooooooong time ago that a study in Arizona had found that MC is protective against HPV.

Yesterday, there was a BIG story in the Times and International Herald Tribune about MC being even MORE protective against HIV than was announced in December.

In December they were saying 50%

Now they're saying 65%.

Again, I'm a little mystified because the Indian study in 2003 said that MC conferred 8 times the protection.

Regardless, what's clear is that MC protects in a BIG WAY against HIV and probably HPV.

Indeed, if I were a betting man, I'd wager that MC protects against herpes as well.

So if you're uncircumcised, you have to be even more cautious.

Now: why is HPV a problem among gay males?

Because of ANAL.

Chin-Hong on HPV infection:

In multivariate analysis the investigators found that the only factor with a statistically significant association with HPV infection was receptive sexual intercourse in the previous six months (p < 0. 0001). The number of male sexual partners in the previous six months was of border-line significance (p = 0.06).

It's the ANAL.

Why is HIV a problem among gay males?

Because of ANAL.

It's the ANAL.

Anal penetration is what has unleashed these and so many other diseases on the community of Men who have Sex with Men.

That's the TRUTH.

Prior to the 1970s, there was no difference between the health of gay-identified men and straight-identified men.

Now there's a HUGE difference.

HIV, HPV, herpes, LGV, syph, gonorrhea, chlamydia -- we could go on and on with the list.

The problem is the VULNERABILITY of the ANUS when PENETRATED.

The problem is that the anus did not evolve nor was it designed to be penetrated.

The problem is that the act is UNNATURAL.

So -- let's pretend that an HIV-effective microbicidal gel is developed.

All that will happen is that some new pathogen will take advantage of the promiscuity which the gel engenders to infect a new generation of gay males with a new and deadly disease.

IT'S THE ANAL.

And the promiscuity.

And the effeminacy.

THOSE MUST END.

We're The MAN2MAN Alliance.

We have the solution:

FROT

FIDELITY

MASCULINITY

And we maintain that just as anal, promiscuity, and effeminacy feed upon each other

so Frot, Fidelity, and Masculinity re-inforce each other.

BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE ALL THREE.

You can't do anal and think that Fidelity and Masculinity will somehow follow.

THEY WON'T.

You can't be promiscuous, and think that you're honoring Masculinity and Phallus.

YOU ARE NOT.

And obviously -- CLEARLY -- you can't denigrate Masculinity and believe that you'll preserve Manhood.

NO.

Phallus is Manhood

and

Manhood is MAN.

So: the three attributes and behaviors are intertwined and self-reinforcing.

That's why the three elements are found together in Warrior cultures.

That's what this is about, that's what we're about.

We're The MAN2MAN Alliance.

Vaccines are all well and good.

But vaccines cannot cure Men's psyches or heal their souls.

We can.

Because we understand:

Bill Weintraub

© All material Copyright 2007 by Bill Weintraub. All rights reserved.