Adoption

Number 528

(Replaces No. 368, June 2007)

ABSTRACT: Obstetrician–gynecologists may find themselves at the center of adoption issues because of their expertise in the assessment and management of infertility, pregnancy, and childbirth. The la...

At-Risk Drinking and Illicit Drug Use Ethical Issues in Obstetric and Gynecologic Practice

Number 422

(Replaces No. 294, May 2004)

ABSTRACT: Drug and alcohol abuse is a major health problem for American women regardless of their socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, and age. It is costly to individuals and to society. Obstetric...

Code of Professional Ethics of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

code of professional ethics of the american college of obstetricians and gynecologists obstetrician–gynecologists, as members of the medical profession, have ethical responsibilities not only to p...

Commercial Enterprises in Medical Practice

Number 359

(Reaffirmed 2011)

ABSTRACT: Increasing numbers of physicians sell and promote both medical and nonmedical products as part of their practices. Physicians always have rendered advice and treatment for a fee, and this p...

Direct-to-Consumer Marketing of Genetic Testing

Number 409

ABSTRACT: Marketing of genetic testing, although similar to direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs, raises additional concerns and considerations. These include issues of limited knowle...

Empathy in Womens Health Care

Number 480

ABSTRACT: Empathy is the process through which one attempts to project oneself into another's life and imagine a situation from his or her point of view. Most individuals do have an innate capacity t...

End-of-Life Decision Making

Number 403

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this Committee Opinion is to discuss issues related to end–of–life care, including terms and definitions, ethical principles, legal constructs, physician–patient communicatio...

Ethical Considerations for Performing Gynecologic Surgery in Low-Resource Settings Abroad

Number 466

ABSTRACT: International humanitarian medical efforts provide essential services to patients who would not otherwise have access to specific health care services. The Committees on Ethics and Global W...

Ethical Decision Making in Obstetrics and Gynecology

Number 390

(Reaffirmed 2010)

ABSTRACT: Physicians vary widely in their familiarity with ethical theories and methods and their sensitivity toward ethical issues. It is important for physicians to improve their skills in addressi...

Ethical Issues in Genetic Testing

Number 410

ABSTRACT: Genetic testing is poised to play an increasing role in the practice of obstetrics and gynecology. To assure patients of the highest quality of care, physicians should become familiar with ...

Ethical Ways for Physicians to Market a Practice

Number 510

(Replaces No. 341, July 2006)

ABSTRACT: It is ethical for physicians to market their practices provided that the communication is truthful and not misleading, deceptive, or discriminatory. All paid advertising must be clearly ide...

Expert Testimony

Number 374

(Reaffirmed 2010)

ABSTRACT: It is the duty of obstetricians and gynecologists who testify as expert witnesses on behalf of defendants, the government, or plaintiffs to do so solely in accordance with their judgment on...

Forming a Just Health Care System

Number 456

ABSTRACT: In this Committee Opinion, the Committee on Ethics of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists endorses the College's ongoing efforts to promote a just health care system, ex...

Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Number 389

ABSTRACT: Because human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection often is detected through prenatal and sexually transmitted disease testing, an obstetrician–gynecologist may be the first health profes...

Human Trafficking

Number 507

ABSTRACT: Human trafficking is a widespread problem with estimates ranging from 14,000 to 50,000 individuals trafficked into the United States annually. This hidden population involves the commercial...

Informed Consent

Number 439

(Reaffirmed 2012)

ABSTRACT: Obtaining informed consent for medical treatment, for participation in medical research, and for participation in teaching exercises involving students and residents is an ethical requireme...

Innovative Practice - Ethical Guidelines

Number 352

(Reaffirmed 2012)

ABSTRACT: Innovations in medical practice are critical to the advancement of medicine. Good clinicians constantly adapt and modify their clinical approaches in ways they believe will benefit patients...

Institutional Responsibility to Provide Legal Representation

Number 370

(Reaffirmed 2012)

ABSTRACT: Hospitals, academic institutions, professional corporations, and other health care organizations should have policies and procedures by which alleged violations of professional behavior can...

Joint Statement of ACOG/AAP on Human Immunodeficiency Virus Screening

(Reaffirmed July 2011)

The problem of perinatal transmission of HIV infection was first appreciated in 1982. In 1991, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommended a policy of routine counseling and offering testing (with sp...

Maternal Decision Making Ethics and the Law

Number 321

ABSTRACT: Recent legal actions and policies aimed at protecting the fetus as an entity separate from the woman have challenged the rights of pregnant women to make decisions about medical interventio...

Maternal-Fetal Intervention and Fetal Care Centers

Number 501

ABSTRACT: The past two decades have yielded profound advances in the fields of prenatal diagnosis and fetal intervention. Although fetal interventions are driven by a beneficence-based motivation to ...

Medical Futility

Number 362

(Reaffirmed 2008)

ABSTRACT: The construct of medical futility has been used to justify a physician's unilateral refusal to provide treatment requested or demanded by a patient or the family of a patient. It is importa...

Multifetal Pregnancy Reduction

Number 553

(Replaces No. 369, June 2007)

ABSTRACT: Fertility treatments have contributed significantly to the increase in multifetal pregnancies. The first approach to the problem of multifetal pregnancies should be prevention, and strategi...

Nonmedical use of Obstetric Ultrasonography

Number 297

(Reaffirmed 2012)

ABSTRACT: The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has endorsed the "Prudent Use" statement from the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) discouraging the use of ...

Partner Consent for Participation in Women's Reproductive Health Research

Number 307

(Reaffirmed 2008)

ABSTRACT: Recent advances in reproductive medicine include treatment of subfertility as well as investigation of agents that may serve as both contraceptives and potential prophylaxis against sexuall...