PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Claire Horner
AU  - Paul Burcher
TI  - A surrogate’s secrets are(n’t) safe with me: patient confidentiality in the care of a gestational surrogate
AID  - 10.1136/medethics-2017-104518
DP  - 2021 Apr 01
TA  - Journal of Medical Ethics
PG  - 213--217
VI  - 47
IP  - 4
4099  - http://jme.bmj.com/content/47/4/213.short
4100  - http://jme.bmj.com/content/47/4/213.full
SO  - J Med Ethics2021 Apr 01; 47
AB  - Gestational surrogacy relies on a legal agreement between the surrogate and the intended parents to define the roles and responsibilities of the parties, including explicit consent by the surrogate to allow the physician to release all pregnancy-related medical information to the intended parents. In the event of surrogate misconduct, however, physicians may feel conflicted if the surrogate asks the physician to withhold information about potentially dangerous behaviour in pregnancy from the intended parents. While the American Society for Reproductive Medicine guidelines may support disclosure over the objections of the surrogate, the authors argue that such disclosure is a violation of the surrogate’s rights and the physician’s ethical and professional duties. A surrogate’s confidentiality must be maintained as it is an essential element of the physician–patient relationship.