Abstinence is the best prevention against virus

Re “Ideology won’t prevent cancer,” Opinion, June 29

Julie Kay’s column on the human papilloma virus vaccine was inane at best. Instead of engaging the argument that abstinence before marriage is the best prevention against the virus, and therefore cervical cancer, she dismisses it as religious, and therefore nutty. However, the logic is simple, scientific and elementary. It goes like this: Human papilloma virus is a sexually transmitted disease. One does not get a sexually transmitted disease if one doesn’t have sex.

Therefore, the way to avoid this virus is by not having sex until marriage -- and hope one’s spouse has followed the same logic.

This has nothing to do with religion or religious views. It is a simple and scientific fact and can be followed by anyone. To say otherwise is demonstrably false.

THOMAS A. SZYSZKIEWICZ

Peterson, Minn.