HPV legislation in Indiana

Women in Government Ratings

Women in Government, a non-profit network of state level women legislators, receives significant funding from the pharmaceutical industry, including Merck, GlaxoSmithKline, and Digene Corporation -- all with products related to HPV vaccination and testing. According to their report, "The 'State' of Cervical Cancer Prevention in America - 2008" :

POPULATION: 6,313,520

Incidence & Mortality (2008 Score / 2007 Score)

• Cervical Cancer Incidence Rate: 7.8/100,000 (1 / 1)
• Cervical Cancer Incidence Rate/Race: White: 7.8 , Black: 6.1, Hispanic: 25.1
• Cervical Cancer Mortality Rate: 2.6/100,000 (1 / 1)
• Cervical Cancer Mortality Rate/Race: White: 2.6 , Black: 4.1

Screening (2008 Score / 2007 Score)

• Cervical Cancer Screening Rate: 81.0% (0 / 1)
• Cervical Cancer Screening Rate/Race: White: 81.4%, Black: 83.9%, Hispanic: 87.8%
• % Uninsured/Unscreened: 28% (1 / 1)
• Medicaid Coverage HPV Testing: Unrestricted (2 / 2)

Healthcare Access (2008 Score / 2007 Score)

• Rate Uninsured Women: 17% (1 / 1)
• % Low Income/Uninsured Women: 35%

Policy Initiatives and Infrastructure (2008 Score / Cumulative Score (2005–2008)

Screening Requirements (0 / 1)

• There are no new screening requirements.

Task Forces (0 / 1)

• There is no new cervical cancer prevention task force legislation.

Access to HPV Vaccines (0 / 0)

• There is no HPV vaccine activity.

HPV Vaccine Information Programs (2 / 2)

• SB 327 requires information about the HPV vaccine and cervical cancer to be distributed to parents of female students entering the 6th grade (replaces mandatory immunization bill); signed by Gov. Mitch Daniels.

Miscellaneous (0 / 1)

• There is no new miscellaneous cervical cancer prevention activity.

Additional Notes

• $20 million in additional appropriations were made to the state Health Department to provide vaccines to low-income individuals, including the HPV vaccine.

Annual Ratings

• 2008: Good (11 out of 22 points)
• 2007: Good (10 out of 18 points)

Articles and resources

SourceWatch Resources

• Gardasil
• GlaxoSmithKline
• Merck
• Women in Government
• Edelman
• The Marketing of Gardasil in Australia
• The Marketing of Gardasil in Canada
• The Marketing of Gardasil in Europe
• The Marketing of Gardasil in New Zealand
• The Marketing of Gardasil in the United States
• Direct-to-consumer advertising
• Disease Mongering
• Drug industry

External links

• Judith Siers-Poisson, The Politics and PR of Cervical Cancer, a four part series, PRWatch.org, July, 2007.