Conflicting Rights of Privacy and the Duty of Disclosure between Sexual Partners

Marvin v. Marvin, 557 P.2d 106 (Cal. 1976).

Goodman E. , Reluctant Paternity — A Case Waiting to Happen Happens, Los Angeles Times, November 13, 1981, §II, at 7, col. 1.

Pamela P. v. Frank S., 443 N.Y.S.2d 343, 346 (N.Y. Fam. Ct. 1981) (misconstruing Aghnides v. Aghnides, 127 N.E.2d 323 (N.Y. 1955)), reversed on other grounds, 451 N.Y.S.2d 766, modified, 456 N.Y.S.2d 777 (N.Y. App. Div. 1982), affirmed, 462 N.Y.S.2d 819 (N.Y. 1983).

Aghnides v. Aghnides, 127 N.E.2d 323 (N.Y. 1955) (annulment not granted despite wife's premarital intentions not to procreate because husband's knowing cohabitation with wife condoned this).

Cal. Civ. Code §§4425(f), 4426(f) (West 1972 & Supp. 1982). But note that incapacity has been variously interpreted as an inability to bear children. See, e.g., Baker v. Baker, 13 Cal. 87, 103 (Cal. 1859). See also Millar v. Millar, 167 P. 394, 396 (Cal. 1917) (mere ability to copulate).

Although the statute does not specify consent at the time of the marriage as a defense to annulment, it does speak of the “injured party.” Cal. Civ. Code §4426(f) (West Supp. 1982). Surely, a party knowing of the other's incapacity cannot later become injured

Pauling L. , Foreword: Reflections on the New Biology, UCLA Law Review 15(2): 267, 269 (1968).

Pamela P. v. Frank S., 443 N.Y.S.2d 343 (N.Y. Fam. Ct. 1981) [hereinafter referred to as Pamela P.]. See also Margolick D.M. , Paternity Suit Focuses on Feminism and Freedom, New York Times, November 6, 1981, at B1, col. 1; Goodman E. , Reluctant Paternity — A Case Waiting to Happen Happens, Los Angeles Times, November 13, 1981, §II, at 7, col. I; Margolick D.M. , Serpico in Court, New York Times, May 23, 1982, at §1, p. 28, col. 2.

Pamela P., supra note 8, at 343.

Fournier v. Lopez (Cal. App. May 2, 1979), reported in Sexual Law Reporter 5:73 (1979).

Id.

Id.

Cal Civ. Code §§242, 4700 (West 1972 & Supp. 1983).

Stephen K. v. Roni L., 164 Cal. Rptr. 618, 619 (Cal. App. 1980) [hereinafter referred to as Stephen K.].

Id.

Id. at 620.

Id. at 621, citing Griswold v. Connecticut, 381 U.S. 479, 485–86 (1965); Eisenstadt v. Baird, 405 U.S. 435, 453–55 (1972).

Cal. Civ. Code §§1572 (deceit), 1573 (fraud), 1709 (damages for deceit) (West 1972 & Supp. 1983).

Pamela P. , supra note 8, at 344.

Id. at 346, citing Carey v. Population Servs. Int'l, 431 U.S. 678, 684–91 (1976); Eisenstadt v. Baird, 405 U.S. 438, 448–49 (1972).

Stephen K. , supra note 14, at 619.

Pamela P. , supra note 8, at 347.

Id. at 345.

Id. at 345, citing Boden v. Boden, 366 N.E.2d 791 (N.Y. 1977).

Pamela P. v. Frank S., 451 N.Y.S.2d 766, 767 (N.Y. App. Div. 1982), affirmed, 462 N.Y.S.2d 819, 820 (N.Y. 1983).

451 N.Y.S.2d at 767, citing Griswold v. Connecticut, 381 U.S. 479, 485 (1965).

Inez M. v. Nathan G., 451 N.Y.S.2d 607 (N.Y. Fam. Ct. 1982).

Id. at 609.

Alice D. v. William M., 450 N.Y.S.2d 350, 351 (N.Y. Civ. Ct. 1982).

Id. at 355.

See Fournier v. Lopez, supra note 10, and accompanying text.

Hughes v. Hutt, 455 A.2d 623 (Pa. 1983).

Id. at 625.

Barbara A. v. John G., 193 Cal. Rptr. 422, 426–27 (Cal. App. 1983).

Id. at 429.

Id. at 429–30.

Id. at 428.

Id., citing Dillon v. Legg, 441 P.2d 912 (Cal. 1938).

Planned Parenthood v. Danforth, 428 U.S. 52, 69 (1975). See also In re S.P.B., 651 P.2d 1213 (Colo. 1982) (father's child support duty unaffected by his offer to fund abortion; court inquiry into any prior agreement of this nature between parties represents unconscionable governmental interference with privacy rights).

See Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine ( Petersdorf R.G. , eds.) (McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York) (1983) at 889-901 (detailing the “new generation” of sexually transmitted diseases, including herpes).

Id. Traditional definition of sexually transmitted disease refers to gonorrhea, syphilis, chancroid, lymphogranuloma venereum, and granuloma inguinale.

See, e.g., Cal. Civ. Code §1714 (West 1978) (responsibility for wilful acts and negligence); Rowland v. Christian, 443 P.2d 561, 564 (Cal. 1968) (”all persons are required to use ordinary care to prevent others being injured as the result of their conduct”).

State codes in California, New York, and Florida were searched. But see cases cited at Crowell v. Crowell, 105 S.E. 206,208 (N.C. 1920) “[I]t is a well settled proposition of law that a person is liable if he negligently exposes another to a contagious or infectious disease.” Id. Such cases should be distinguished from suits by individuals against health care organizations such as for hepatitis-contaminated blood. See, e.g., Note, Strict Liability— The Medical Service immunity and Blood Transfusions in California, University of California at Davis Law Review 7: 196 (1974); Greenbaum H. , Current Standards of Practice in Medicine: The Medical, Judicial, and Legislative Roles, Western State Law Review 7(1): 3, 4 (1979).

For early actions for infections by venereal disease, see De Vail v. Strunk, 96 S.W.2d 245 (Tex. Civ. App. 1936) (holding that there is a cause of action for fraudulent promise to marry and for consequential damages of infection with “crabs”; Crowell v. Crowell, 105 S.E. 206 (N.C. 1920) (wife may maintain action against husband for infection by venereal disease); State v. Lankford, 102 A. 63 (Del. 1917) (assault and battery for man to conceal syphilis from his wife and infect her). See also Prosser W. , Handbook on the Law of Torts (West Publishing Co., St. Paul, Minn.) (1971) at 105 [hereinafter referred to as Law of Torts].

See, e.g., Martinez A. , Fights Social Disease, Los Angeles Times, May 5, 1982, §V, at 1, col. 1; Goodman E. , The Wrong Reason to Say No, Washington Post, October 16, 1982, at A15, col. 1; Russell B. Sussman B. , Sexual Revolution Shows: Singles Say Herpes Makes Them Think Twice, Washington Post, October 11, 1982, at A1, col. 5; Graham N. , Woman to Appeal Rejection of Suit on Herpes Infection, Los Angeles Times, March 27, 1983, §IX, at 1, col. 1 (Westside ed.); Will G. , Herpes, an Epidemic in the Courtroom, Los Angeles Times, February 24, 1983, §II, at 7, col. 1.

See, e.g., Box T. , Promising Herpes Treatment Developed, Los Angeles Times, December 16, 1982, §I-B, at 6, col. 1.

See, e.g., Altman L.K. , The Doctor's World: Is the Alarm over Herpes Excessive? New York Times, November 2, 1982, at C3, col. 1; Box, T., Herpes Sufferers Fight the Stigma, Los Angeles Times, December 27, 1982, §V, at 16, col. 1.

Keating v. Bolander, No. WEC 72582 (Los Angeles County Superior Ct., Cal. March 25, 1983) (mem. op.). See also Graham, supra note 45.

Complaint of Plaintiff, Keating v. Bolander, No. WEC 72582 (Los Angeles County Super. Ct., Cal. March 25, 1983).

See Graham, supra note 45.

See Stephen K. , supra note 14.

Keating v. Bolander, supra note 48, at 2 (mem. op.).

Telephone conversation with Pollack Barry A. , attorney for the plaintiff (April 18, 1983).

Liptrot v. Basini, No. 82-19427 (Broward County Cir., Fla. filed September 20, 1983), reported in Mellowitz J. Rohas N. , Herpes: A Cause for Legal Action? National Law Journal, November 8, 1982, at 3, col. 3.

See Will, supra note 45.

Cal. Pen. Code §647(b) (West Supp. 1983).

For humorous treatment of this issue, see Standard Form of One Night Stand Prospective Lovers’ Agreement for Individuals, Beverly Hills Bar Journal 12: 231 (1978).

Nev. Rev. Stat. §§201.295, 201.440 (1981). Prostitution is not even there universally legal. See, e.g., City of Reno v. Forrest, 479 P.2d 465 (Nev. 1971) (prostitution illegal in Reno); Nev. Rev. Stat. §244.345 (1981).

Nev. Rev. Stat. §§126.031, 126.241, 126.261 (1981).

Keating v. Bolander, supra note 48, at 3 (mem. op.), citing Stephen K. , supra note 14, at 619.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Update — United States, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 32(24): 309–11 (June 24, 1983); Speck W.T. , Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, Journal of Pediatrics 103(2): 161–63 (July 1983); Francis D.P. , Epidemic Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome: Epidemiologic Evidence for a Transmissible Agent, Journal of the National Cancer Institute 71(1): 1–4 (July 1983); Henig R.M. , AIDS: A New Disease's Deadly Odyssey, New York Times, February 6, 1983, §6 (magazine), at 28.

Prevention of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS): Report of Inter-Agency Recommendations, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 32: 101 (1983).

Henig, supra note 61, at 44.

Gelden , Death in the Family, Rolling Stone, p. 18 (February 3, 1983).

Henig, supra note 61, at 38–42.

Id. at 36.

Law of Torts, supra note 44, at 190–204. In California, the violation of a statute designed to protect a given class of persons from a given harm, and which causes that harm, creates the presumption of negligence. Satterlee v. Orange Glenn School Dist., 177 P.2d 279, 283 (Cal. 1947).

Cal. Health & Safety Code §§3000–3507 (West 1979 & Supp. 1983).

Cal. Health & Safety Code §§3001, 3198, 3353 (West 1979).

Cal. Health & Safety Code §§3198, 3353 (West 1979).

Cal. Health & Safety Code §3001 (West 1979).

1937 Cal. Stat. 2249.

Merck Manual ( Holvey D. , ed.) (Merck & Co., Rahway, N.J.) (12th ed. 1972) at 1529.

Id. at 33.

Fla. Stat. Ann. §§384.01, 384.02 (West 1973).

Cal. Admin. Code, tit. 16, §1399.582(c) (1980 & 1982).

N.Y. Pub. Health Law §2311 (McKinney Supp. 1983).

39A C.J.S., Health & Environment §48 (1976 & Supp. 1982).

Margolick D.M. , Paternity Suit Focuses on Feminism and Freedom, New York Times, November 6, 1981, at B6, col. 2.

Margolick D.M. , Serpico in Court, New York Times, May 23, 1982 §1, at 28, col. 2.

Graham , supra note 45, at 10, col. 1.

Law of Torts, supra note 44, at 445.

Id.

See, e.g., Roe v. Doe, 272 N.E.2d 567 (N.Y. 1971).

Klein v. Klein, 376 P.2d 70 (Cal. 1962) (negligence); Self v. Self, 376 P.2d 65 (Cal. 1962) (intentional tort).

Cal. Evid. Code §§970–972(a), 980–982 (West 1966 & Supp. 1983).

See, e.g., Cal. Pen. Code §262 (West Supp. 1983). See Note, Marital Rape in California: For Better or for Worse, San Fernando Valley Law Review 8: 239, 241 (1980). See also Barbara A. v. John G., supra note 34.

Oregon Husband is Found Not Guilty in Rape Trial, Family Law Reporter (BNA) 5: 2164 (1979).

Goldstein J. Freud A. Solnit A. , Beyond the Best Interests of the Child (Free Press, New York, N.Y.) (1979) at 7.

People v. Sorenson, 437 P.2d 495, 500 (Cal. 1968).

C.M. v. C.C., 152 N.J. Super. 160, 168 (N.J. 1977) (it is not clear whether the donor could have avoided the duty by avoiding a claim for visitation rights).

Cal. Civ. Code §229 (West 1982); O'Connell v. O'Connell, 146 Cal. Rptr. 26, 31 (Cal. App. 1978); Younger v. Younger, 39 P. 779, 780 (Cal. 1895); N.Y. Dom. Rel. Law §117 (McKinney 1977).

See, e.g., In re Hunsicker, 223 P. 411, 412 (Cal. Dist. App. 1923); Betz v. Horr, 11 N.E.2d 548, 550 (N.Y. 1937).

Curlender v. Bioscience Laboratories, 165 Cal. Rptr. 477 (Cal. App. 1980) (dicta).

Cal. Civ. Code §43.7 (West 1982). The status of the wrongful life cause of action is unclear in California. Turpin v. Sortini, 643 P.2d 954 (Cal. 1982).

Venus B. v. Danillo S., 446 N.Y.S.2d 894, 896 (N.Y. Fam. Ct. 1982).

Id. at 897.

Inez M. v. Nathan G., supra note 27, at 611, citing 1935 N.Y. Laws ch. 263, §1.

See Barbara A. v. John G., supra note 34, and accompanying text.

Comment, Paternity Testing with the Human Leukocyte Antigen System, Santa Clara Law Review 20: 511 (1980); Comment, Domestic Relations, Pacific Law Journal 13:669 (1982).

Cramer v. Morrison, 153 Cal. Rptr. 865 (Cal. App. 1979) (judicial acceptance of HLA as evidence of paternity); Cal. Evid. Code §895 (West Supp. 1983) (1981 codification of Cramer v. Morrison).

Sindeil v. Abbott Laboratories, 607 P.2d 924, 936–37 (Cal. 1980), cert. denied, 449 U.S. 912 (1980).

607 P.2d at 936–37.

Comment, Domestic Relations, Pacific Law Journal 13:669 (1982); Shults v. Superior Court, 170 Cal. Rptr. 297, 299 (Cal. App. 1980).

170 Cal. Rptr. at 299–300; Kremin v. Graham, 318 N.W.2d 853 (Minn. 1982).

Wharton , San Bernardino Approves Controversial VD Test Law, Los Angeles Times, September 21, 1982, §1, at 1, col. 4.

Colen , Is There Death after Sex? Rolling Stone, p. 17 (February 3, 1983).

Posner R.A. , The Right of Privacy, Georgia Law Review 12(3): 393, 397 (Spring 1978).

Rushevsky , Legal Recognition of Surrogate Gestation, Women's Rights Law Reporter 7: 107, 142 (1982).

Morrow , Social Diseases and Marriage (1904) at 51, quoted in Bok S. , Lying (Vintage Books, New York) (1979) at 154–55.

Bok S. , Secrets (Pantheon Books, New York) (1983) at 120.