HPV legislation in Virginia

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: 7,642,884

Incidence & Mortality (2008 Score / 2007 Score)

• Cervical Cancer Incidence Rate: 7.1/100,000 (2/ 1)
• Cervical Cancer Incidence Rate/Race: White: 6.5, Black: 8.5
• Cervical Cancer Mortality Rate: 1.9/100,000 (2 / 1)
• Cervical Cancer Mortality Rate/Race: White: 1.6, Black: 3.5

Screening (2008 Score / 2007 Score)

• Cervical Cancer Screening Rate: 85.6% (1 / 2)
• Cervical Cancer Screening Rate/Race: White: 85.6%, Black: 89.1%, Hispanic: 87.7%
• % Uninsured/Unscreened: 22.4% (2 / 2)
• Medicaid Coverage HPV Testing: Unrestricted (2 / 2)

Healthcare Access (2008 Score / 2007 Score)

• Rate Uninsured Women: 16% (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 / 2)

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

Access to HPV Vaccines (2 / 2)

• HB 2035/SB 1230 requires females age 11 and older to receive the HPV vaccine before entering 6th grade; after having reviewed materials on the link between HPV and cervical cancer, a parent/guardian may elect for their daughter to not receive the vaccine; signed by Gov. Kaine.

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

• Virginia was the only state in the nation to enact an HPV vaccination requirement for school entry.

Annual Ratings

• 2008: Very Good (15 out of 22 points)
• 2007: Very Good (12 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.