The ethics of pregnancy testing

Abstract: Ethical and clinical concerns remain around mandatory pregnancy testing for under 16-year-olds attending for elective procedures. Existing national recommendations state that pregnancy state must be established in all females of reproductive capability. However for this group this is considered discriminatory as they may have capacity and the right to informed consent. In addition the possibility of safeguarding issues, disclosed under-age sexual activity and a newly revealed pregnancy in the presence of parents and guardians as well as the undue harm in attempting to determine pregnancy status when a positive result is extremely unlikely make the situation far from straightforward. Recent guidelines from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health from 2012 attempt to set down a template to overcome these dilemmas and allow institutions to comply with national guidelines.
Source: Anaesthesia and intensive care medicine - Category: Anesthesiology Authors: Tags: Ethics Source Type: research