The Lone Star State

I just read in the NY Times that Texas has become the first state in the union to require vaccination against HPV for preteen girls enrolled in the 6th grade. This will protect them from the sexually transmitted virus, long known to cause cervical cancer. It's critical that the vaccine be given to girls before they have a chance to be exposed to the virus through sexual abuse or experimentation, although the deadly consequences of infection will not be evident for decades.

Frankly, I'm amazed that conservative Texas has gotten past the religious right's outrage over a vaccine that could (gasp) make sex safer for women and thus (in their nonsensical view) promote promiscuity in their teenage daughters. The state will even provide free vaccinations for all girls and young women eligible for public assistance. Hooray for Governor Perry and a huge step in preventative healthcare for women!

Bush's Bipartisanship

In a gracious extension of the olive branch to the incoming Democratic majority, President Bush is renominating a bunch of previously rejected candidates for appellate court judgeships, including William "mining lobbyist" Myers, Michael "ABA unqualified" Wallace, Terrence "civil rights, snivel rights" Boyle, and William "legalize torture" Haynes. He is also pushing the Senate again to confirm John "Bully" Bolton as permanent ambassador to the United Nations.

In an even more conciliatory gesture, Bush is also appointing OB-GYN Eric Keroack to head family-planning programs at the Department of Health and Human Services, which is a bit like putting the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. in charge of the Armed Forces, except with less inspiring speeches. Keroack is the medical director for A Woman's Concern, a Christian pregnancy-counseling organization that supports sexual abstinence until marriage, opposes contraception, and does not distribute information promoting birth control. This experience should serve him exceedingly well in advising Secretary Mike Leavitt on reproductive health and adolescent pregnancy and in controlling $283 million in annual family-planning grants designed to provide access to contraceptive supplies and information to low income persons.

Two Triumphs

The South African Parliament just voted overwhelmingly to join the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, and Canada in legalizing same-sex marriages. If President Thabo Mbeki signs the bill into law, South Africa will stand alone among African nations, many of which still treat homosexuality as a crime as serious as rape or murder. The African National Congress has been criticized for pressuring its legislators to support the bill, regardless of their personal beliefs. But as the party's caucus chairman put it, “How do you allow for someone to vote against the Constitution and the policies of the A.N.C., which is antidiscrimination?” Word.

And in a smaller but still significant step, the Pakistan National Assembly passed the Protection of Women Bill, which includes amendments to the 1979 law known as the Hudood Ordinance. If the bill passes the Senate and is signed into law, judges will gain the option of trying rape cases in a civil court, whereas previously women would have had to use an Islamic court, produce four male witnesses, and risk conviction for adultery. In addition, the current penalty for consensual sex outside of marriage, flogging or even death, would be reduced to five years in jail or a substantial fine. It's not the full repeal of the Hudood Ordinance that human rights activists hoped for, but at least rape victims should have more of an incentive to bring their attackers to justice.

NIH family fellowship

Have you heard about the new NIH family fellowship that will allow postdoctoral researchers either to take extended paid parental leave for up to 12 months or work parttime for up to 5 years?

No? Well, that might be because it doesn't exist - yet. But check out the proposal and discussion board here, add your name in support, and publicize it to your department/university. This could make a huge difference to the retention of talented female scientists currently forced to choose between career and family, given the extremely limited opportunities for postdoctoral maternity leave at most universities.

Happy Halloween!

I type this post from the basement room housing our confocal microscope, dressed as a monarch butterfly.

I don't have anything scintillating to report, other than that I heard on NPR recently that the most popular original paper source of counterfeit US dollars is the now practically worthless Iraqi dinar (talk about adding insult to injury).

But I direct you to a terrific post and discussion about the essential unpaid work OUTSIDE of the home expected of Stay at Home Moms (well, Parents, but the vast majority are Moms) over at Bitch Ph.D.

And if you have small children, bring 'em by my house - I always buy too much candy.