HPV legislation in Ohio

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: 11,478,006

Incidence & Mortality (2008 Score / 2007 Score)

• Cervical Cancer Incidence Rate: 8.1/100,000 (1/ 1)
• Cervical Cancer Incidence Rate/Race: White: 7.5, Black: 10.2
• Cervical Cancer Mortality Rate: 2.3/100,000 (1 / 1)
• Cervical Cancer Mortality Rate/Race: White: 2.3 , Black: 3.9

Screening (2008 Score / 2007 Score)

• Cervical Cancer Screening Rate: 83.4% (1 / 2)
• Cervical Cancer Screening Rate/Race: White: 82.9%, Black: 91.8%, Hispanic: 78.6%
• % Uninsured/Unscreened: 22.4% (2 / 2)
• Medicaid Coverage HPV Testing: Unrestricted (2 / 2)

Healthcare Access (2008 Score / 2007 Score)

• Rate Uninsured Women: 14% (1 / 1)
• % Low Income/Uninsured Women: 28%

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

Screening Requirements (1 / 1)

• HB 335 would require certain healthcare insurers and plans, including the state’s Medicaid program, to provide benefits for prostate, colorectal, cervical, and ovarian cancer screening examinations; referred to Insurance Committee.

Task Forces (0 / 1)

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

Access to HPV Vaccines (1 / 1)

• HB 81 would require girls entering the 6th grade to be vaccinated against HPV and create the HPV Immunization Advisory Committee; sent to Health Committee.

HPV Vaccine Information Programs (0 / 0)

• There is no HPV vaccine information activity.

Miscellaneous (0 / 0)

• There is no new miscellaneous cervical cancer prevention activity.

Additional Notes

• The state Breast and Cervical Cancer Project announced that it has received state funding, in additional to federal funding, for the first time. The additional funding will allow the program to provide screening and

diagnostic services for an additional 9,000 women annually.

Annual Ratings

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