BIOE 306 | Health Law

This course examines a variety of topics related to health law, public health policy, and bioethics. No prerequisites are required. This interdisciplinary course delves into the tension between the public health needs of the community and individual rights in law-based public health interventions by analyzing legal texts and case studies. Topics covered may include public health emergencies, mental health treatments, criminalization of HIV transmission and exposure, criminalization of drug use during pregnancy, embryo transfer laws, youth sports concussion regulations, confinement conditions of the incarcerated, HIPAA, GINA, organ donation guidelines, vaccine exemptions, forced sterilization cases, and drug patents. Students are expected to actively participate in discussions, debates, and role-playing exercises based on assigned readings. The course materials include legal texts, health law cases, public health literature, bioethics articles, feminist literature, and film.