Court Opinion

ID: 9765028
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 03:48:09.265482+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:30:03.590201
License: Public Domain

LARSEN, Justice,
dissenting.
I dissent. Our society encourages those who are ill, diseased and plagued with any of the multitude of organisms which can inflict themselves upon humans to seek out treatment. To this end, citizens with anything from flu to venereal disease to cancer must of necessity reveal these private and sensitive matters to persons in the medical and scientific fields. A right of privacy protects our citizens from having such matters disclosed to others. See Pa. Const. Art. I, § 1 and Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113, 93 S.Ct. 705, 35 L.Ed.2d 147 (1973).
The majority now carves a large hole in this right by, in effect, stating that if recipients are sworn to secrecy, they can then receive this information without breaching this important right. I do not agree.
A breach of the right of privacy occurs when the information is transmitted to another, whether or not that person (the recipient) promises not to further transmit the information to others. It is knowledge of private and personal matters by another that is offensive — not that the knowledge may or may not continue on a course of travel to yet another eager ear. It is human nature which requires that secrets be communicated. The information desired by the grand jury can be obtained by other means which avoids the *155exposure of the patient’s personal data. Each patient should be given notice and an opportunity to protect his right of privacy in this matter.