A national Christian charity today criticised the Government's decision to go ahead with mass immunisation of 12-year-old girls against human papilloma virus (HPV), a sexually-transmitted infection.

HPV is the major cause of cervical cancer and the Government claims that vaccinating pre-teenage girls will help reduce deaths. But critics say it will increase sexual activity amongst the young, increasing the very harm it seeks to reduce.

Colin Hart, Director of The Christian Institute, said today:

"Everyone wants to see a reduction in deaths from cancer but this is not the way to go about it. When we want to reduce lung cancer we tell people not to smoke. If we want to reduce cervical cancer we should be telling girls to say no to under-age sex. We don't give cigarette filters to school children to stop fatal lung cancer and we shouldn't be giving them this jab. It sends out completely the wrong message.

"Research from Nottingham University shows that STIs increase because of condom promotion programmes. This is because under-age sexual activity increases. Overall it causes more harm than good. We have had a safer-sex approach for years yet the result has been increased levels of STIs, record highs in abortions and no significant reduction in teenage pregnancy rates. The thing we should be doing is trying to stop kids being sexually active. We should empower them to say no to under-age sex. Rather than sex jabs for the one-night stand we should be promoting marriage. It is time to give our children their innocence back."

The The Christian Institute, Registered Charity No 100 4774
seeks to promote the Christian faith in the UK and elsewhere.
Registered Office: Wilberforce House, 4 Park Road, Gosforth Business Park,
Newcastle upon Tyne, NE12 8DG