Institutional review boards (IRBs) play a role in approving research that involves human subjects.

Community-based participatory research ensures that community protections, risks, and benefits are considered during ethical reviews of research protocols.

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

A historical look at dermatological testing and the regulations that have been enacted to protect the patients who test skin care products.

Clinical trials for the blood substitute PolyHeme exposed the possibility for ambiguous interpretation of the FDA’s waiver of informed consent for emergency research.

Questions about data privacy need to be addressed when research institutions negotiate with companies developing mobile health applications. Commercial terms of use and data sharing notifications should be reviewed before use in human subject research settings.

An ethical case explores a lawsuit against Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center of Seattle by patients who claimed they were not told of the full risks associated with a clinical trial they participated in.

Ethical and legal questions arise when public health research that provides a benefit to society at large can potentially cause harm to the subjects.

The FDA bears the responsibility to monitor clinical trials and protect human subjects from harm.

The harms of communicating autism risk can be avoided by helping families to understand risk and to distinguish between poor and good sources of scientific information, which should take families’ interests into account.