HPV legislation in Pennsylvania

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: 12,440,621

Incidence & Mortality (2008 Score / 2007 Score)

• Cervical Cancer Incidence Rate: 7.6/100,000 (1/ 1)
• Cervical Cancer Incidence Rate/Race: White: 7.4, Black: 9.0, Asian/Pacific Islander: 9.1
• Cervical Cancer Mortality Rate: 2.3/100,000 (1 / 1)
• Cervical Cancer Mortality Rate/Race: White: 1.9, Black: 5.6, Hispanic: 4.5

Screening (2008 Score / 2007 Score)

• Cervical Cancer Screening Rate: 82.8% (1 / 1)
• Cervical Cancer Screening Rate/Race: White: 83.3%, Black: 82%, Hispanic: 85.1%
• % Uninsured/Unscreened: 27.6% (1 / 1)
• Medicaid Coverage HPV Testing: Restricted (0 / 0)

Healthcare Access (2008 Score / 2007 Score)

• Rate Uninsured Women: 13% (1 / 1)
• % Low Income/Uninsured Women: 26%

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

Screening Requirements (0 / 1)

• There are no new screening requirements.

Task Forces (0 / 2)

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

Access to HPV Vaccines (1 / 1)

• HB 352 would require health insurance policies to cover the HPV vaccine; referred to Insurance Committee.

HPV Vaccine Information Programs (0 / 0)

• There is no HPV vaccine information activity.

Miscellaneous (1 / 2)

• HB 845 would create the HPV and Cervical Cancer Education Program to promote public awareness of the relation of HPV to cervical cancer and the value of prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment of both HPV and cervical cancer; referred to Health and Human Services Committee.
• HR 21 designates January as Cervical Cancer Awareness Month; passed.

Additional Notes

• Women In Government held a state briefing in March with state legislators, expert speakers, and public health advocates, including members of the Pennsylvania Cervical Cancer Task Force. Pennsylvania is one of four states that does not offer unrestricted HPV testing for women enrolled in the state Medicaid program. HPV testing is only offered for resolving inconclusive Pap tests. However, Medicaid beneficiaries enrolled in HMOs do have the option of HPV testing for routine screening along with a Pap test.

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.