When patients are unable to express their wishes and do not have surrogates or advance directives, which and whose values should inform decision making for them? We discuss ethical complexities of caring for unrepresented patients.

AMA Journal of Ethics theme editor Terri Davis, a third-year MD student at West Virginia University School of Medicine, interviewed Ranit Mishori, MD, about how to respond to incidents of suspected human trafficking in health care settings.

Physicians caring for trafficking victims should know about applicable criminal and human rights law and mandatory reporting requirements.

Public health surveillance for infectious disease provides a model for a mandatory reporting policy for human trafficking, which poses risks for survivors.

The stigmatization of and discrimination toward people living with HIV persists in the general public and even among health care professionals.

Decriminalization of the sex trade speaks to medical ethics by reducing sex workers’ vulnerability to violence, exploitation, stigma, and trafficking.

A look at current literature and work by a statewide initiative can motivate development of policies that help respond to unrepresented patients’ needs.

Forced sterilization of HIV-positive women, which is widespread in South Africa, Namibia, and Chile, violates women’s human right to autonomy and the principle of informed consent and is medically unnecessary.

The Nordic model policy option for addressing commercial sex—which exempts sellers from criminal penalties—offers several potential advantages.

Public health officials have a responsibility to alert the public to prospective dangers without unduly restricting individual freedom or adding to the stigmatization of certain illnesses.