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.
This is what is known as your capacity to consent to procedures. There are also different styles of doctors, which will affect how information is being disclosed to you. There are a few other questions you may wish to ask your doctor when it comes to tests, test results, and any medical information that is in your chart. We have to be careful that genetic information, in particular, doesn't become a basis for discrimination. Women also have to be careful about the implications of certain test results.