Differentiating between best palliative care options and the curative and palliative potential of surgery is key to developing dual intentional clarity.

Physicians should provide women considering abortion after Down syndrome screening with unbiased information and not attempt to influence their decision.

Noninvasive prenatal testing arguably constitutes a form of eugenics in a social context in which certain reproductive outcomes are not valued.

Pregnant women at high risk for heritable diseases need support and nondirective genetic counseling.

Refusal of pediatric euthanasia can be considered iatrogenic insofar as it inadvertently prolongs patient suffering, but attitudes differ cross-culturally.

The AMA Code of Medical Ethics' opinions on confidential care for sexually active minors and physicians' exercise of conscience in refusal of services.

A medical student’s desire to practice the specialty that he or she finds most interesting should not outweigh the right of patients in a pluralistic society to receive a full range of legal medical services.

An argument that the concept of judicious dissent can resolve the debate over a physician’s conscience-based right to refuse to provide lawful services.

An argument that an individual physician’s conscience-based decision not to offer specific, lawful medical services should not restrict patients’ access to those services.

With good planning and good will, medical professionals’ right of conscience and patients’ rights to controversial services can be both protected and accommodated.