Measure enables girls 12 and older to get HPV vaccine -- sans parental consent

Contact: Tim Lilley, 678-990-9032, TLilley@MaximusMG.com; Kevin Wandra, 678-990-9032, KWandra@MaximusMG.com

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 11, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- With little fanfare, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill Sunday that enables girls 12 and older to get the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine without parental consent.

Bestselling author Teresa Tomeo finds it disquieting, to say the least. "It is frightening that some in our society continue to push parents out of the picture when it comes to major decisions involving their sons' and daughters' health and welfare," said Tomeo, author of the new book EXTREME MAKEOVER: WOMEN TRANSFORMED BY CHRIST NOT CONFORMED TO THE CULTURE.

"Children can't sign up for athletics -- or be given as much as an aspirin in school -- without Mom's or Dad's approval; but now, 12-year-olds in California can get the HPV vaccine without parental consent?!

"We don't pass out filtered cigarettes or light beer to our youth," Tomeo added. "Why would we give them more reason to engage in unsafe behavior?"

In EXTREME MAKEOVER, Tomeo writes, "...when a tween or teen girl is given the vaccine, what are we saying to her? We are saying the same thing when we give her birth control pills or condoms: 'You're probably going to have sex soon anyway, so better safe than sorry.'"

Tomeo challenges women to shed messages like this, and the toxic images that objectify and enslave them, and instead embrace the truth about their human dignity.

To schedule an interview with Tomeo and/or to request a review copy of EXTREME MAKEOVER, contact Tim Lilley (TLilley@MaximusMG.com) or Kevin Wandra (KWandra@MaximusMG.com) of The Maximus Group at 678-990-9032, or at the email addresses above.