Women,Gender,Sexuality Studies 293D - S-Pub Health/Private Decisions

The field of medicine is shaped by both private and public dimensions. At the individual level, we are assured of privacy through HIPAA, and decisions on our individual health cannot be made without our consent. But there are also larger public dimensions to health that impinge on our individual and collective wellness. For example, if an individual chooses not to vaccinate themselves, that impacts the larger health of the public. What are the public costs and consequences of enacting or not enacting such rules? What are our public health and social obligations vs. our private needs and preferences?

Using the tools of Women, Gender, Sexuality Studies, the course investigates the real life practices and dilemmas in medicine and the U.S. health care system. What ethical and professional guidelines do or don't or should doctors follow? How much authority should governments (state, local or federal) have to control actions for example in quarantines, reallocation of resources, and other questions. How should health care costs be regulated? What is and should be the role of industry and profit in producing medical products? Should governments be involved in production? Some of the issues explored include: the politics of health care, epidemics and pandemics, medicalization of childbirth, dr/patient confidentiality, categories of race, sex, and sexuality in medicine, disability, genetic testing, abortion, organ transplants, vaccination, euthanasia and more.