Margo Pierce's subhead to the article "Controversial Medicine" is an inaccurate title: "Should girls be forced to get cervical cancer vaccine?" (issue of March 7). The vaccine is against the human papillomavirus (HPV), not cervical cancer itself as the title states.
There are additional facts that would have presented more accurate information about the issue. For instance, the HPV vaccine actually prevents HPV infection by dominant HPV strains, which are responsible for 70 percent of cervical cancer cases, and does not prevent HPV infection by most other types that cause cervical cancer (National Cancer Institute). Also, more research is needed to determine the extent and duration of the HPV vaccine, as it currently only protects against infection for four years. The National Cancer Institute also cautions that more research is being conducted to determine the vaccine's long-term safety.
I'm happy that the issue was presented in CityBeat as it's an important one, but as an RN and graduate student in health education I urge you to inform people of the critical facts that were not included in the article.
— Rebecca Dietrich, Clifton
Sad State of Affairs
By coincidence, the same week your great package of articles on The Cincinnati Post was published ("The Light Dims," issue of Feb. 21), I had tried to switch my Enquirer subscription over to The Post. For whatever reason — poor marketing most likely — I had forgotten about The Post.
I have been tired of The Enquirer for many years, so I made the call to switch over.
Customer service made the switch on a Monday morning and said I would receive The Post on Tuesday. Tuesday came and went, and no Post. I called, and they said it would be delivered in one hour. Nope.
Wednesday came and went, and no Post. But we did get The Enquirer that morning. Same promise of delivery, but it never came.
I called Thursday morning and told them that if it didn't come that day I would cancel and never subscribe with them again. The representative noted it in my file. Of course there was no Post.
I called yet again, and they even had the note listed in my file. I canceled, and the customer service rep didn't even care. Since then we have received The Enquirer a couple of times.
The customer service department called me early this week and had the nerve to ask why I canceled — "Gee, because I never got it" was my reply — and asked if I wanted to put in a request for a manager.
Maybe the reps, who are paid by The Enquirer, don't care if anyone gets The Post or not. I like the concept someone proposed of an online-only edition (Letters, issue of Feb. 28), but nothing beats sitting on a deck in the spring or summer mornings and reading a paper.
I've traveled all over the U.S., and The Cincinnati Enquirer is easily the worst local paper I've ever read. Pretty sad for a major city.
— Steve Heller, Reading
Call a Friend Today
To be honest, I often times don't care much for what Larry Gross has to say in the Living Out Loud column, but his column about history and friendships struck a chord with me ("History and Friendships," issue of Feb. 28).
We all let friendships slip and fade away, and Gross' words got me to thinking why it happens. Life today is simply too busy to get in everything we want. Work and family pressure lead to friendships dying.
Sometimes I think when I retire I'll have time to spend time with friends, but at that point will I even have any left? Gross is right, of course: We all need to make the time.
In my business planner for Monday, I have a line item that says "Call a friend." Maybe that's the most important business I'll do that day.
— Charlie Tall, Florence
Don't Let Friends Slip
I loved the column "History and Friendships" (issue of Feb. 28) and loved Larry Gross' thoughtfulness. Yes, we do sometimes lose track of people who are important to us.
I have a friend I went to high school with, and we stayed friends after that and went to different colleges but always remained close. In our twenties my girlfriend got married and followed her husband to California, but we stayed in touch. Now I'm close to 40 and I'm back from visiting her, but it was a sad visit: My good old friend passed away from cancer.
Thank you so much for writing this, Larry, as the timing was just right for me. Friendships are so important, and I'm so glad I didn't let this one slip through my fingers.
— Mary Rollins, Anderson Twp.
