HPV legislation in North Carolina

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: 8,856,505

Incidence & Mortality (2008 Score / 2007 Score)

• Cervical Cancer Incidence Rate: 7.0/100,000 (2/ 1)
• Cervical Cancer Incidence Rate/Race: White: 6.1, Black: 9.1, Hispanic: 16.9
• Cervical Cancer Mortality Rate: 2.4/100,000 (1 / 1)
• Cervical Cancer Mortality Rate/Race: White: 1.9, Black: 4.1

Screening (2008 Score / 2007 Score)

• Cervical Cancer Screening Rate: 86.8% (2 / 2)
• Cervical Cancer Screening Rate/Race: White: 86.6%, Black: 89.9%, Hispanic: 84%, Asian: Pacific Islander: 75.7%, American Indian/Alaskan: 91%
• % Uninsured/Unscreened: 21.6% (2 / 2)
• Medicaid Coverage HPV Testing: Unrestricted (2 / 2)

Healthcare Access (2008 Score / 2007 Score)

• Rate Uninsured Women: 18% (1 / 1)
• % Low Income/Uninsured Women: 36%

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

Screening Requirements (0 / 2)

• There are no new screening requirements.

Task Forces (0 / 2)

• 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 260 requires local boards of education to ensure that parents/guardians of students in grades 5–12 receive information about cervical cancer, HPV and the HPV vaccine; referred to Committee on Health; signed by Gov. Easley.

Miscellaneous (1 / 1)

• SB 305/HB 256 would provide $2.2 million to provide further screening and diagnostic services for breast and cervical cancer for an additional 8,000 women through the NC Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program; referred from Health Committee to Committee on Appropriations.
• HB 664 would appropriate $200,000 to support the Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program’s outreach efforts; referred to Committee on Appropriations.

Annual Ratings

• 2008: Very Good (17 out of 22 points)
• 2007: Very Good (13 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.