AirTalk

Knowingly exposing others to HIV is a felony – why a new CA bill seeks to reduce that

By AirTalk Staff

Published Jun 2, 2017 9:38 AM

MIAMI, FL - MAY 12: Peter Yanez, who is insured under a policy from the Affordable Care Act, has blood drawn by Linda Williams, a medical assistant, as he gets a blood test at a Planned Parenthood health center on May 12, 2017 in Miami, Florida. A GOP plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act would cut federal funding for Planned Parenthood services at their health centers. Planned Parenthood has approximately 700 health centers across the country that serve 2,470,000 male and female patients and provide services for preventive health care, birth-control, cancer screeening, pregnancy tests and STD testing and treatment. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Listen 1:35:08

AirTalk debates a state bill aiming to bring down the penalty for knowingly exposing others to HIV - regardless of infection - to a misdemeanor. We'll also discuss the Trump administration's petition asking the Supreme Court to reinstate the travel ban. Plus, reviews of this week's new movie releases on FilmWeek!

Knowingly exposing others to HIV is a felony – why a new CA bill seeks to reduce that

Will they, won’t they? The constitutional considerations of reinstating Trump’s travel ban

Listen 16:50

Will they, won’t they? The constitutional considerations of reinstating Trump’s travel ban

President Donald Trump’s Administration filed a petition Thursday night for the Supreme Court to reinstate his travel ban, a move blocked by lower courts in Maryland and Hawaii earlier this year.

The ban would have prohibited travel to the U.S. from six majority-Muslim countries for 90 days. Trump’s Administration argued the ban would keep out the threat of terrorism, but federal judges deemed the ban discriminatory. Now it’s up to the Supreme Court to decide whether to lift the injunctions keeping officials from enforcing the ban, halting the issuance of visas from citizens of Syria, Iran, Libya, Sudan, Yemen and Somalia.

So how far should Trump’s reach be? Is it constitutional to reinstate the ban?

Guests:

Emily Bazelon, staff writer for New York Times Magazine and the Truman Capote Fellow for Creative Writing and Law at Yale Law School; she has been following the story

Michael J. Gerhardt, professor of constitutional law at the University of North Carolina; he is the author of many law-related books, including “The Power of Precedent” (Oxford University Press, 2011); Professor Gerhardt is the only legal scholar to participate in Supreme Court confirmation hearings for six of the nine justices currently sitting on the Supreme Court

Knowingly exposing others to HIV is a felony. Should it be?

Listen 17:13

Knowingly exposing others to HIV is a felony. Should it be?

Under current California law, knowingly exposing someone to HIV, either through unprotected sex or a blood or semen donation, is a felony – but a new state Senate bill is looking to downgrade it to a misdemeanor, putting it on par with the punishment for transmitting other communicable diseases.

Introduced by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), SB 239 cleared the state Senate Wednesday, and now goes to Assembly.

Proponents of the bill say it’s unfair that transmitting HIV/AIDS has a harsher penalty than exposing people to other communicable diseases. This perpetuates the stigma around HIV, discounts recent medical advances and discourages people from getting tested.

The bill is opposed by many Republican lawmakers, who say knowingly exposing someone to the disease endangers lives and needs to be prosecuted accordingly.

We debate the bill. Should knowingly transmitting HIV remain a felony? Or is that a discriminatory vestige of a time past?

Guests:

Edward Machtinger, M.D., professor of medicine at the University of California San Francisco; he directs the women’s HIV program and has done 20 years of research and care of individuals living with HIV

Brad Dacus, president of Pacific Justice Institute, a legal defense organization specializing in religious issues headquartered in Sacramento

Pot while pregnant? Doctors don’t like it but more moms do

Listen 13:28

Pot while pregnant? Doctors don’t like it but more moms do

As it gets easier to access marijuana legally in the U.S., it’s no surprise that usage is increasing - but a new study shows the uptick also applies to pregnant women.

From 2002 until 2015 The National Survey on Drug Use and Health asked more than three hundred thousand women about their marijuana consumption in the last month, more than fourteen hundred of the participants were pregnant.

On average nonpregnant women were more likely to use the drug than expectant mothers - except in one demographic - teenagers between 12 and 17. Seventeen percent of the pregnant participants in that age group had used weed, compared to six percent of their nonpregnant peers.

“Risk-taking” behaviors may account for some of that statistic, along with misconceptions about the drug. When faced with morning sickness or body aches, pot might seem like an “all natural” approach to easing prenatal discomfort - but the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends expectant mothers avoid weed because it poses health risks to the fetus and may affect brain development in the long run.

Guest:

Allison Bond, M.D., medical writer and resident physician in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston; she wrote the story about the latest study for ABC News

FilmWeek: ‘Wonder Woman,’ ‘Captain Underpants’ and more

Listen 47:33

FilmWeek: ‘Wonder Woman,’ ‘Captain Underpants’ and more

Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Christy Lemire, Wade Major and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s new movie releases, including a deep dive on the summer's big hit, "Wonder Woman."

Is Wonder Woman a feminist icon? What does she represent to you? And how has she transformed since the days of comics and television to now? Call us at 866-893-7222.

Here's our list of reviews for today:

"Wonder Woman" in wide release
"Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie" in wide release
"Handsome Devil" at Laemmle's Music Hall
"Band Aid" at ArcLight Hollywood and The Landmark
"Past Life" at Laemmle's Playhouse, Laemmle's Royal Theatre and Laemmle's Town Center
"The Exception" at Laemmle's Royal Theatre
"Churchill" in select theaters including several of the AMC, ArcLight and Laemmle's theaters
"Dean" at ArcLight Hollywood and The Landmark