HPV legislation in Maryland

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: 5,615,727

Incidence & Mortality (2008 Score / 2007 Score)

• Cervical Cancer Incidence Rate: 9.3/100,000 (1 / 0)
• Cervical Cancer Incidence Rate/Race: White: 8.4 , Black: 10.6
• Cervical Cancer Mortality Rate: 2.5/100,000 (1 / 2)
• Cervical Cancer Mortality Rate/Race: White: 2.2, Black: 3.9

Screening (2008 Score / 2007 Score)

• Cervical Cancer Screening Rate: 87.8% (2 / 2)
• Cervical Cancer Screening Rate/Race: White: 87.8%, Black: 88.7%, Hispanic: 83.4%, Asian/Pacific Islander: 84.3%
• % Uninsured/Unscreened: 29% (1 / 1)
• Medicaid Coverage HPV Testing: Unrestricted (2 / 2)

Healthcare Access (2008 Score / 2007 Score)

• Rate Uninsured Women: 17% (1 / 1)
• % Low Income/Uninsured Women: 40%

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

Screening Requirements (0 / 2)

• There are no new screening requirements.

Task Forces (2 / 2)

• SB 774/HB 1049 establishes the HPV vaccine subcommittee in the Cervical Cancer Committee of the MD Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan to promote awareness of the causes of cervical cancer and prevention and detection options; became law.

Access to HPV Vaccines (1 / 1)

• SB 54 would require female 6th graders to receive the HPV vaccine; withdrawn.

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.

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.