Washington, D.C., Jan. 13, 2005 - Women In Government today presented the findings from its first report on states' progress to eliminate cervical cancer - a disease that is almost always preventable with the most-advanced screening technologies. The report titled, "A Call to Action: The "State" of Cervical Cancer in America," finds that none of the states are where they should be, based on cervical cancer screening rates, coverage of routine screening tests in public insurance programs and passage of state legislation to make cervical cancer elimination a priority. "The report findings reveal that too many American women remain unscreened or under-screened for cervical cancer," said Women In Government chair and Michigan Senator, Beverly Hammerstrom (R-17th district). "We urge state legislators, public health officials, advocates and others to renew their efforts to prevent cervical cancer by ensuring that all women have access to the most advanced screening technologies - including both the Pap and the HPV (human papillomavirus) tests - regardless of their socioeconomic status. We will continue to monitor state successes and highlight their progress in future reports as part of our 10-year plan to eliminate this disease."

Major findings in the report show:

• No state received an "excellent" grade.
• Massachusetts scored highest with 75 percent (achieving 12 out of 16 possible points), followed by Illinois, Maryland and North Carolina (69 percent or 11 out of 16 points each).
• Tennessee and Texas scored lowest (25 percent), followed by Wyoming and Nevada (31 percent or 5 out of 16 points each).

The report also found that among the four states that fared best:

• At least eighty percent of age-appropriate women have been screened in the last three years. (Three of the top four states had a screening rate of more than 86 percent).
• Their Medicaid programs cover HPV testing along with the Pap in rout
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Contact: Lisa Shakner
lshakner@lippetaylor.com
212-598-0336 x126
Lippe Taylor
13-Jan-2005


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