Minors as young as 12 can consent to preventive measures against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including vaccination, according to a new California law that has sparked an outcry over parents' rights.
Minors in the state already have the right to seek diagnosis and treatment of STDs without parental consent. The new law extends that right to the use of preventive measures, including hepatitis B vaccines, human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines, and HIV post-exposure medications.
"It doesn't make sense to leave out medical care to prevent STDs while allowing minors to access treatment after they've already been exposed," said state assemblywoman Toni Atkins in a statement.
The new law started life as Assembly Bill (AB) 499. It was sponsored by Atkins and was passed by the California legislature on Aug. 31. Governor Jerry Brown signed it into law on Sunday.
"This bill will prevent adolescents from contracting life-threatening illnesses," Atkins said.
According to her statement, other states have passed similar laws to extend the ability of minors to consent for preventive measures. They include Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Montana, North Carolina, South Carolina, South Dakota, and the District of Columbia.
Some critics of the law, including Randy Thomasson, president of SaveCalifornia.com, responded harshly to the signing.
"[Governor] Brown has no excuse to deny patients essential information and trample parents' consent for their children, who lack the brain development to make big decisions like this," Thomasson said in a statement. "It is unfair and wrong for AB 499 to coerce children behind their parents' backs, when calling or emailing a child's mother or father to set an appointment is the respectful way to communicate vital information and answer important questions."
The bill was sponsored by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Health Officers Association of California, and the California STD Controllers Association.
State-mandated HPV vaccination for girls 12 years old and older in Texas has stirred debate on the Republican presidential campaign trail.