SFMS Success: Brown Signs Preventive STI Treatment Bill October 11, 2011 Advocacy, News, Public Health, SFMS Member AB 499, Preventative STI Treatment Bill, STIs 0 We did it! What began as a resolution "Minor Consent for the Prevention of STIs" from the San Francisco Medical Society at the House of Delegates in Anaheim in October of 2007, then approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics at ALF in 2008, and also by the AMA in 2008, will now become law on January 1, 2012. On Sunday, Governor Brown signed AB 499 by Assembly member Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), that will allow children ages 12 and older to obtain preventive treatment for sexually transmitted infections without parental consent. The original resolution was co-authored by SFMS members Charles J. Wibbelsman, MD, and Shannon Udovic-Constant, MD. Not only will many adolescents, age 12 through 17 years of age, have the opportunity to consent to the HPV vaccine and Hepatitis B vaccine, when seen in a confidential setting such as reproductive health, but this law now allows youth 12 to 17 years of age to consent to the administration of preventive therapy if exposed to an STI such as HIV when exposed during unsafe sex or breakage of a condom. This law has the potential of saving many adolescents' lives. The law will now allow California youth the opportunity to consent to care related to the prevention of Sexually Transmitted Infections in addition to the previous opportunity to consent which allows for the diagnosis and treatment of STIs and is currently law in all 50 states. Consent for condoms now will be allowed by the law. This indeed is a new horizon for the health care of adolescents! Congratulations to Drs. Wibbelsman and Udovic-Constant for spearheading and championing this cause. Comments are closed.
