Ethics in obstetrics and gynecology. An overview

This paper provides an overview of ethical issues in obstetrics and gynecology. We first define two basic ethical principles, beneficence and respect for autonomy. We first apply these principles to gynecologic practice, emphasizing the role of informed consent. We then apply these principles to obstetric practice, utilizing the concept of the fetus as a patient and identifying its clinical implications for directive versus non-directive counseling for fetal benefit.