Authors
1
MSc in Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran.
2
MSc in Nursing, Faculty member, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Golestan University of Medical Science, Gorgan, Iran
3
PhD in Medical Ethics, Medical Ethics and Law Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
4
PhD in Nursing, Nursing Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran.
5
Associate Professor, PhD in Nursing, Nursing Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran.
Abstract
Introduction: Confidentiality is an ethical principle with a long history in medicine. It can be considered as the duty
of the medical community to keep secrets that are provided to the medical team in accordance with the profession. The aim of this study is to report on the challenge of ethical decision-making based on the principle of confidentiality in relation to a pregnant client addicted to drugs.
Reporting the Case: The case is a 26-year-old woman who was found to be pregnant after being transferred to a camp to
quit drugs, so her family returned her home, and her first husband, took care of the child assuming that the child belongs to her. At the mother's visit to the health center, the pregnancy was confirmed at 15 weeks, while the client was addicted to crystal meth and asked the health center staff not to inform her husband that the pregnancy is the result of his intercourse with another young man.
Conclusion: The ethical challenge of this study is to keep the patient's secrets confidential, while respecting human
dignity and the patient's right to health care, without accusing and discriminating against routine and special care during pregnancy according to the patient's condition. In this regard, being doubtful on observing the principle of confidentiality or deception of the patient's ex-husband, observing the confidentiality was preferred.
Keywords
