ABSTRACT
The legal and ethical duties of health service providers to disclose information to their potential patients have become reasonably settled in most countries [1], Legal requirements address disclosure of such matters as the patient's diagnosis,
prognosis when untreated and treated according to available options, the prospective benefits* risks and uncertainties of each option, and the impact of options on lifestyle, including, where appropriate, on reproductive health. Laws also address related matters, such as duties to protect medical confidentiality, [2] and the human rights framework within which national laws apply [3].
