The Nuremberg Code forbids which of the following actions? A. Doctors performing medical experiments on humans without their consent B. Parents permitting children to participate in nontherapeutic research C. People who are under 18 years old donating their organs D. Trauma researchers conducting research in emergency situations.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is A. Doctors performing medical experiments on humans without their consent.
The Nuremberg Code, established in 1947 in response to the atrocities committed during World War II, particularly the unethical medical experiments conducted by Nazi doctors on prisoners, laid down ethical guidelines for conducting research on human beings. It was the first document to emphasize the importance of informed consent in medical experiments.
Explanation:
The Nuremberg Code contains 10 principles, but the most prominent one is that voluntary consent of the human subject is absolutely essential. This means that individuals must be fully informed about the nature, purpose, and risks of the research, and they must agree to participate without any form of coercion or deception. Principle 1 of the Code explicitly states that it is essential to obtain the consent of the participant before conducting any experiments. The experiment should also aim to yield valuable results for the good of society that could not be obtained by other means.
The Code was put into place to protect human rights and dignity, preventing the abuse of individuals for experimental purposes, particularly in situations where they cannot escape or defend themselves, as seen in Nazi concentration camps. After the war, it became a foundation for modern ethics in clinical research and human rights laws.
Why the other options are incorrect:
- B. Parents permitting children to participate in nontherapeutic research: While the Nuremberg Code emphasizes informed consent, it doesn’t directly forbid parents from permitting children to participate in nontherapeutic research. However, this action would likely violate ethical standards unless there was appropriate consent and oversight.
- C. People who are under 18 years old donating their organs: The Nuremberg Code doesn’t address organ donation specifically. However, organ donation involves its own set of ethical and legal regulations, including age and mental capacity considerations.
- D. Trauma researchers conducting research in emergency situations: While there are specific guidelines on emergency research, the Nuremberg Code doesn’t outright forbid research in such situations. However, informed consent might be challenging, and additional regulations exist to ensure ethical standards in such cases.
