HPV legislation in Colorado

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: 4,753,377

Incidence & Mortality (2008 Score / 2007 Score)

• Cervical Cancer Incidence Rate: 6.8/100,000 (2 / 2)
• Cervical Cancer Incidence Rate/Race: White: 6.7 , Black: 5.4, Hispanic: 7.5, Asian/Pacific Islander: 10.2
• Cervical Cancer Mortality Rate: 1.6/100,000 (2 / 2)
• Cervical Cancer Mortality Rate/Race: White: 1.5 , Black: 1.8, Hispanic: 2.6

Screening (2008 Score / 2007 Score)

• Cervical Cancer Screening Rate: 85.3% (1 / 2)
• Cervical Cancer Screening Rate/Race: White: 85.5%, Hispanic: 85.7%
• % Uninsured/Unscreened: 23.9% (1 / 1)
• Medicaid Coverage HPV Testing: Unrestricted (2 / 2)

Healthcare Access (2008 Score / 2007 Score)

• Rate Uninsured Women: 19% (1 / 1)
• % Low Income/Uninsured Women: 44%

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

Screening Requirements (0 / 0)

• There are no new screening requirements.

Task Forces (0 / 0)

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

Access to HPV Vaccines (2 / 2)

• HB 1301 establishes the Cervical Cancer Immunization Program to immunize female minors and women against cervical cancer; directs the Dept. of Public Health and Environment to investigate ways of making the vaccine available; encourages federally qualified health centers to contract with local public health agencies to administer the vaccine; authorizes local public health agencies to vaccinate underinsured female minors; and requires that certain insurance policies provide coverage for the vaccine. Signed by Gov. Bill Ritter.
• SB 97 allocates 4% of the state tobacco settlement to a cervical cancer immunization fund; signed by Gov. Ritter.
• HB 1016 would request a Medicaid waiver to provide the HPV vaccine to girls 12–18 with parental consent; postponed.
• SB 80 would require female students and parents/guardians to be given information about HPV and the link to cervical cancer and the availability of the HPV vaccine; would require female students to present evidence of vaccination; postponed.

HPV Vaccine Information Programs (0 / 0)

• There is no HPV vaccine information activity.

Miscellaneous (2 / 2)

• Requires human sexuality education programs to include information on HPV and the link to cervical cancer, as well as the availability of the HPV vaccine; signed by governor.

Annual Ratings

• 2008: Good (13 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.