Washington, DC -- Councilmember David Catania (At-Large) will be featured in a nationally televised story for his efforts to combat cervical cancer. The interview will air on the CBS Evening News this Saturday at 6:30 p.m. (WUSA-9) in the Washington, D.C. area.

Catania and Councilmember Mary Cheh (Ward 3) recently introduced legislation to create a Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program for females between the ages of 11 and 13 attending school in the District of Columbia. HPV is responsible for causing cervical cancer in an estimated 14,000 women each year and killing more than 3,900. Nearly 92 percent of invasive cervical cancer diagnoses occur among minority women. The District has the highest rate of this disease in the United States.

Unfortunately, despite the proven link between HPV and cervical cancer, many women are not familiar with the virus or how it can be prevented. During their lifetime, approximately 50 percent of sexually active adults will acquire HPV, which cannot be medically cured after transmission. HPV has been difficult to combat because it frequently goes undiagnosed, causes no visible symptoms, and can be transmitted even when condoms are used.

Last year the Food and Drug Administration licensed Gardasil (manufactured by Merck), the first ever vaccine to prevent HPV. The vaccine is approved for females between the ages of 9 and 26 and protects against the 4 types of HPV that account for 70 percent of all HPV cases.

Bill 17-030, the “HPV Vaccination and Reporting Act of 2007,” will require parents and guardians to certify that their daughter has received the vaccine or that they have opted out of the vaccine prior to entering the 6th grade. It also requires the District’s Department of Health to develop a reporting system to effectively monitor HPV vaccination data.

View copy of Legislation