Bioethics in Peru

To date the application of bioethics in Peru has been rudimentary. The discipline has not yet acquired a distinct identity; only a few committees review ethical problems that arise in the course of medical practice, and bioethics is still taught mainly at schools of philosophy and theology. At the same time, situations in various health fields have raised bioethics questions or indicated areas where bioethical approaches might be effectively applied. Among others, the activities involved include research on human subjects, interventions relating to human reproduction, treatment of AIDS patients, treatment of dying patients, organ transplants, and management of handicapped children. This article reviews developments in each of these areas, with an eye to specific matters of ethical concern.