You are in Medical Library . What You Should Know about A brief article, written for women, about the nature of informed consent as it applies to medical care.
Informed consent is a guiding principle for medical practitioners and researchers.
However, unless certain procedures or treatments are well established and women are informed of all potential risks, women remain susceptible to abuse. For example, if your doctor is recommending a hysterectomy to treat fibroids, and you wish to look into alternative treatments, unless you're informed about the existence of alternative treatments and the physiological properties of fibroids, you may be inclined to consent to a hysterectomy. If your doctor tells you that there are more risks to your health with alternative treatments than with a hysterectomy, you may also come to the same conclusion. The problem with informed consent is that unless you are a doctor, too, it's unlikely you will be completely informed. Problems also arise with the interpretation of consent.