Abstract
This article considers the beginnings of a Jewish ethics of medical expertise that is responsive to power disparities. It uses the ethics of sexual health as a case study, offering tannaitic purity discourse as model for thinking about ethical issues surrounding sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The article examines two components of this problem: the subject of expert knowledge and discourse, and the authority and limits of expertise. It argues that while expertise itself cannot be democratized, discourse on a subject of expertise that affects both experts and nonexperts can be, and that this democratization can function as a check against the abuse of expert authority. It proposes a strong, yet bounded model, in which expertise comes with significant authority in limited areas.
