HPV legislation in Alaska

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: 670,053

Incidence & Mortality (2008 Score / 2007 Score)

• Cervical Cancer Incidence Rate: 7.2/100,000 (2 / 2)
• Cervical Cancer Incidence Rate/Race: White: 6.9 , Black: 11.2
• Cervical Cancer Mortality Rate: 1.9/100,000 (2 / 1)
• Cervical Cancer Mortality Rate/Race: White: 2.2

Screening (2008 Score / 2007 Score)

• Cervical Cancer Screening Rate: 87.0% (2 / 2)
• Cervical Cancer Screening Rate/Race: White: 86.9%, American Indian/Alaskan: 90.1%
• % Uninsured/Unscreened: 22.6% (2 / 2)
• Medicaid Coverage HPV Testing: Unrestricted (2 / 2)

Healthcare Access (2008 Score / 2007 Score)

• Rate Uninsured Women: 21% (0 / 1)
• % Low Income/Uninsured Women: 39%

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

Screening Requirements

• There are no new screening requirements. (0 / 1)

Task Forces

• There is no new cervical cancer prevention task force legislation. (0 /0)

Access to HPV Vaccines

• There is no HPV vaccine activity. (0 / 0)

HPV Vaccine Information Programs

• There is no HPV vaccine information activity. (0 / 0)

Miscellaneous

• There is no new miscellaneous cervical cancer prevention activity. (0 / 0)

Additional Notes: The Department of Health and Social Services will distribute more than 20,000 doses of Gardasil to public and private health clinics in the state; nearly two-thirds of Alaska girls qualify to receive the vaccine at no cost.

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.