PRINTER'S NO. 3061
No. 550 Session of 2008
INTRODUCED BY HARHART, MAJOR, GINGRICH, ARGALL, DALLY, REICHLEY,
STERN, R. STEVENSON, MOYER, BAKER, BELFANTI, BENNINGHOFF,
BENNINGTON, BEYER, BRENNAN, CALTAGIRONE, CAPPELLI, CAUSER,
COHEN, CONKLIN, CREIGHTON, DALEY, DiGIROLAMO, DONATUCCI,
J. EVANS, FABRIZIO, FLECK, FRANKEL, GALLOWAY, GEIST, GEORGE,
GIBBONS, GODSHALL, GOODMAN, GRUCELA, HARHAI, HARKINS, HELM,
HENNESSEY, HERSHEY, HESS, HUTCHINSON, KENNEY, MANN, MANTZ,
MARKOSEK, MARSICO, McILHATTAN, MELIO, MENSCH, MICOZZIE,
MILLARD, MOUL, MUSTIO, NAILOR, D. O'BRIEN, PALLONE, PAYNE,
PYLE, QUIGLEY, QUINN, RAMALEY, READSHAW, REED, ROSS, RUBLEY,
SAINATO, SANTONI, SAYLOR, SCAVELLO, SONNEY, SWANGER, TRUE,
VULAKOVICH, WATSON, WOJNAROSKI, YOUNGBLOOD, CUTLER, MURT AND
MANDERINO, JANUARY 14, 2008
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
JANUARY 14, 2008
A RESOLUTION
1 Recognizing the month of January 2008 as "Cervical Cancer
2 Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, The American Cancer Society estimated that in 2007,
4 11,150 women in the United States were diagnosed with cervical
5 cancer and more than 3,670 died of the disease; and
6 WHEREAS, Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of
7 cancer deaths among women worldwide; and
8 WHEREAS, Human papillomavirus is a primary cause of cervical
9 cancer; and
10 WHEREAS, Each year, more than 5 million people acquire human
11 papillomavirus, which is linked to cervical cancer in high-risk
12 cases; and
1 WHEREAS, With regular and accurate screening, cervical cancer
2 is highly preventable; and
3 WHEREAS, Widespread screening has reduced death rates from
4 cervical cancer, but women are still dying despite advanced
5 medical techniques and evaluative procedures; and
6 WHEREAS, Cervical cancer rates in the United States are
7 affected by education, access to regular cervical cancer
8 screening and screening accuracy; and
9 WHEREAS, Experience shows that increasing cervical cancer
10 awareness among women, especially underserved women,
11 significantly reduces the probability of mortality; and
12 WHEREAS, Cervical cancer disproportionately affects minority
13 women and women with lower incomes who are less likely to have
14 access to routine screening; and
15 WHEREAS, Approximately half of all cervical cancer cases are
16 in women who have never been screened and 10% of cases are in
17 women who have not been screened within the last five years; and
18 WHEREAS, The median age of cervical cancer patients at
19 diagnosis is 47 years, the youngest median age for all female
20 reproductive cancers; and
21 WHEREAS, New screening technologies offer new opportunities
22 to finally eliminate cervical cancer through early
23 identification of women at increased risk; and
24 WHEREAS, These technologies include testing approved by the
25 Food and Drug Administration for human papillomavirus, the cause
26 of virtually all cervical cancers; and
27 WHEREAS, The United States Food and Drug Administration has
28 approved a vaccine for human papillomavirus, for females 9 to 26
29 years of age, which prevents infection by four major types of
30 human papillomavirus and prevents most cases of cervical cancer;
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1 and
2 WHEREAS, The National Immunization Program of the Centers for
3 Disease Control and Prevention and the Advisory Committee on
4 Immunization Practices have jointly recommended the use of the
5 human papillomavirus vaccine; and
6 WHEREAS, Women are entitled to appropriate information
7 relating to cervical cancer so they may make informed health
8 care decisions and may access accurate screening and
9 vaccination; and
10 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth recognizes that through education
11 and screening, women can decrease their likelihood of developing
12 cervical cancer, and that with early detection, cervical cancer
13 can be successfully treated; therefore be it
14 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the
15 month of January 2008 as "Cervical Cancer Awareness Month" in
16 Pennsylvania to increase awareness, on the part of women,
17 families, health care providers and policymakers, of the risks,
18 prevalence and treatability of cervical cancer and the
19 importance of early access to accurate screening.
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