SACRAMENTO – The State Senate Health Committee voted 7-2 April 22 to approve SB 158, legislation by Sen. Patricia Wiggins (D-Santa Rosa) requiring health care service plan contracts and health insurance policies that provide coverage for cervical cancer treatment or surgery to also provide coverage for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations.

“HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States, as over 80% of American females are infected at some point in their lives,” Wiggins said. “HPV has also been identified as the primary cause of cervical cancer, which was once the number one cause of cancer deaths among women in the U.S.”

The senator added that a 2007 survey of California health plans found that an estimated 27,400 privately-insured females aged 11 to 26 years lack coverage for the HPV vaccine and would gain coverage as a result of this bill. She said that “SB 158 will ensure all young women with health insurance are covered.”

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), there are more than 100 types of HPVs, nearly a third of which can be transmitted sexually. Most HPV infections occur without any symptoms and go away without treatment. Both "high-risk" and "low-risk" HPVs can cause the growth of abnormal cells, but generally only high-risk HPVs lead to cancer, including cervical, anal, and penile cancer.

Of the women who develop abnormal cervical cell changes with high-risk HPVs, only a small percentage develop cervical cancer if the abnormal cells are not removed. Approximately 90% percent of new HPV infections clear within two years.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), an estimated 6.2 million new HPV infections occur every year among persons aged 14 to 44 years in the U.S. Of these, 74 percent occur among those aged 15 to 24 years.

Estimates suggest that over 80 percent of sexually active women will have acquired genital HPV by age 50.

A 2007 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that the prevalence of HPV infection in the U.S. was highest among 20 to 24 year olds (45%). For females 14 to 24 years, the overall HPV prevalence was estimated at 34 percent.

The California Department of Public Health estimates that there may be approximately 900,000 females ages 14 to 24 with an HPV infection. Approximately 372,000 California females ages 14 to 59 have a vaccine-preventable HPV infection.

Wiggins represents California’s 2nd Senate District, comprised of portions or all of six counties: Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Solano and Sonoma.