title: The legal implications of refusing to provide prenatal diagnosis in low-risk pregnancies or solely for sex selection.
abstract: As more people learn about prenatal diagnosis, medical personnel are increasingly being asked to perform these procedures in both low-risk pregnancies and for purposes of sex selection. Analysis of present legal rules illustrates that it is highly unlikely genetic counselors will be subjected to legal liability for refusing to provide prenatal diagnosis in these situations. This freedom from liability will probably continue into the foreseeable future, despite recent developments in the areas of informed consent and allocation of scarce medical resources that tend to limit the traditionally broad deference given to medical personnel.
mesh_terms: D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005817:Genetic Counseling; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D007603:Jurisprudence; D010358:Patient Participation; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D040841:Resource Allocation; D012306:Risk; D012732:Sex Determination Analysis; D012743:Sex Preselection; D014481:United States