HPV legislation in Tennessee

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: 6,038,803

Incidence & Mortality (2008 Score / 2007 Score)

• Cervical Cancer Incidence Rate: 8.1/100,000 (1/ 1)
• Cervical Cancer Incidence Rate/Race: White: 7.7, Black: 10.8
• Cervical Cancer Mortality Rate: 3.0/100,000 (1 / 1)
• Cervical Cancer Mortality Rate/Race: White: 2.5, Black: 5.5

Screening (2008 Score / 2007 Score)

• Cervical Cancer Screening Rate: 85.9% (2 / 2)
• Cervical Cancer Screening Rate/Race: White: 84.9%, Black: 91.4%
• % Uninsured/Unscreened: 27.6% (1 / 1)
• Medicaid Coverage HPV Testing: Restricted (0 / 0)

Healthcare Access (2008 Score / 2007 Score)

• Rate Uninsured Women: 16% (1 / 1)
• % Low Income/Uninsured Women: 28%

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

Screening Requirements (0 / 0)

• 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 (0 / 0)

• There is no HPV vaccine information activity.

Miscellaneous (1 / 1)

• HB 1517/SB 1995 would require the Dept. of Health to provide a report to the governor and to the speakers of the general assembly by January 15, 2008, concerning the incidence, prevalence, and severity of HPV and cervical cancer among females in this state; referred to Public Health and Family Committee.

Additional Notes

• Tennessee 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.

Annual Ratings

• 2008: Fair (9 out of 22 points)
• 2007: Fair (8 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.