12-Year-Olds Can Get HPV Vaccine Without Parental Consent in California

The governor of California signed a bill into law last Sunday which gives girls as young as 12 the power to consent to receiving the HPV vaccine - without notifying their parents. Minors in California already had the right to seek diagnosis and treatment of STDs without parental consent, and the passage of this law allows them to be pro-active about protecting themselves from ever contracting HPV—not just seeking treatment after they’ve been exposed to it. The law was sponsored by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and includes HPV vaccines Gardasil and Ceravix. The vaccine, which is designed to prevent several strains of cervical cancer, can be given to girls as young as 9 and as old as 26. And it's not just California: about 30 other states have similar laws.

Plus: All about the HPV vaccine

The law, which takes effect January 1, 2012, has gotten major pushback from conservative groups. Randy Thomasson of SaveCalifornia.org, a pro-family organization that describes itself as standing for moral virtues, said to ABC News that the governor passing this law gives girls "the false sense of security that they can have the sexual activity they want without risking developing cervical cancer or a raft of other negative consequences."

Plus: Parenting Post blogger Denene Millner on her HPV vaccine decision for her daughters

The HPV vaccine has been making headlines lately, with Michele Bachmann calling it a "very dangerous drug," and Texas Governor Rick Perry signing a law mandating all sixth-grade girls receive the vaccine.

Do you think it's OK for 12-year-old girls to give their consent for this vaccine?