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. 1990 Dec;16(4):187-90.
doi: 10.1136/jme.16.4.187.

Why is preventive medicine exempted from ethical constraints?

P Skrabanek  1
Affiliations

Why is preventive medicine exempted from ethical constraints?

P Skrabanek. J Med Ethics. 1990 Dec.

Abstract

It is a paradox that medical experimentation on individuals, whether patients or healthy volunteers, is now controlled by strict ethical guidelines, while no such protection exists for whole populations which are subjected to medical interventions in the name of preventive medicine or health promotion. As many such interventions are either of dubious benefit or of uncertain harm-benefit balance, such as mass screening for cancers or for risk factors associated with coronary heart disease, there is no justification for maintaining the ethical vacuum in which preventive medicine finds itself at present.

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Comment in

  • Ethics in preventive medicine.
    Capon AG. Capon AG. J Med Ethics. 1991 Mar;17(1):46. doi: 10.1136/jme.17.1.46. J Med Ethics. 1991. PMID: 1867695 Free PMC article. No abstract available.
  • Ethics in preventive medicine.
    Doxiadis S. Doxiadis S. J Med Ethics. 1991 Jun;17(2):104. doi: 10.1136/jme.17.2.104. J Med Ethics. 1991. PMID: 1870082 Free PMC article. No abstract available.
  • Ethics of preventive medicine.
    McPherson K. McPherson K. J Med Ethics. 1991 Sep;17(3):162-3. doi: 10.1136/jme.17.3.162-b. J Med Ethics. 1991. PMID: 1941960 Free PMC article. No abstract available.
  • Ethics in health promotion and prevention of disease.
    Gillon R. Gillon R. J Med Ethics. 1990 Dec;16(4):171-2. doi: 10.1136/jme.16.4.171. J Med Ethics. 1990. PMID: 2287010 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

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