Revista Iberoamericana de Bioética is a quarterly scientific journal published as an Open Access Journal by Universidad Pontificia Comillas along with eleven other Ibero-American university centers. The journal follows strict rules in its editorial process that guarantee the quality and relevance of the texts published in it. Revista Iberoamericana de Bioética seeks, with academic rigor, to provide an information and training service to the world of Ibero-American bioethics. It also wants to be an effective tool for the comprehensive training of students in bioethics in various courses, seminars, masters and doctoral programs. We intend to be a reference, and to see it recognized with the inclusion of the journal in the most prestigious indexes and databases; but above all we intend to be useful to the Ibero-American community of bioethics students and teachers, to health professionals and other specialists concerned with bioethics.
The authors of articles published in Revista Iberoamericana de Bioética retain the intellectual property rights over their works and grant the journal their distribution and public communication rights, consenting to their publication under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivates 4.0 Internacional. Authors are encouraged to publish their work on the Internet (for example, on institutional or personal pages, repositories, etc.) respecting the conditions of this license and quoting appropriately the original source.
Regina Cárdenas y Javier de la Torre (2025). Disforia e incongruencia de género
Copyright (c) 2026 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Classroom Research Ethics in Brazil: Timing, Boundaries, and Safeguards
This article analyzes the presence, clarity, and school applicability of the Brazilian ethical-regulatory framework governing research conducted by teachers with their own students. Specifically, it examines whether current regulations provide sufficiently clear and operational guidance regarding four key dimensions: prior ethical review, the boundary between pedagogical activity and research, safeguards for teacherstudent relationships, and data governance in educational contexts. We analyzed CNS Resolutions 466/2012, 510/2016, and 674/2022, and Law 14,874/2024 using eleven analytical questions addressing ethical approval timing, teacher-student relationship safeguards, consent and assent, data governance, and return of results. Findings show that voluntariness, consent, assent, and privacy protection are consolidated, yet ambiguities remain regarding when to submit studies to the Research Ethics Committee, how to distinguish pedagogical activity from research, and which operational safeguards mitigate classroom power asymmetries. We also note gaps in defining minimal risk and in standardizing procedures for common low-risk school scenarios, such as using pedagogical records. Overall, the regulatory instruments define the ethical “what,” but greater clarity on the “how” is required to ensure feasible, consistent application in everyday school practice and to support teacher-researchers.
Copyright (c) 2026 Joao Paulo Cunha de Menezes https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Prenatal Nurse Decision Making in the COVID-19 Pandemic
This study aims to understand nurses' decision-making in prenatal care during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a qualitative study carried out at the Family Health Strategies in a municipality in Bahia between August and September 2022 through interviews with 10 nurses. One category was listed: changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic in the care of pregnant women. The subcategories were: interaction between ESF team members increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic; ethical behavior in a difficult context brought many lessons and changes in decision-making; the increased risk for pregnant women in the ESF led to changes in the outlook and attention towards humanized care; quick decision-making during COVID-19 required nurses to use the precautionary principle in care. Nurses experienced changes in decision-making in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting those shared between the team and the more humanized and attentive look at pregnant women.
Copyright (c) 2026 Gabriela Nunes Azevedo, Mariana Oliveira Antunes Ferraz, Ione Sales de Jesus, Darci de Oliveira Santa Rosa https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Analysis of the Guarantee of the Right to Choose Renal Replacement Therapy: A Bioethical Reflection
Based on The Principles of Biomedical Ethics by Beauchamp and Childress, this study analyzed the perspective of healthcare professionals on the follow-up of patients undergoing conservative treatment for Chronic Kidney Disease until the choice of Renal Replacement Therapy. This was conducted through a cross-sectional, descriptive study involving interviews with 63 professionals working in outpatient clinics of four nephrology specialist training centers in Rio de Janeiro, between March and September 2022. The results are presented in two thematic areas: Patient follow-up and Informed Consent. We conclude that the process is not based on the patient’s choice and that the patient is dependent on the availability of healthcare services and the professional's guidance regarding options. It is important to develop knowledge about the options available to empower patients to become autonomous and capable of seeking access to the treatments they need.
Copyright (c) 2026 Tatiane da Silva Campos, Andreia Patricia Gomes https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Spirituality in Families Evaluated for Compulsory Hospitalization Due to Substance Use
This study examines how spirituality is expressed among family members supporting patients with substance use disorders following discharge from involuntary hospitalization. It is an observational multiple case study with a qualitative approach, involving 31 follow-up consultations conducted at 30, 90, and 180 days. Participants’ statements were organized into three analytical categories: conditions for moving forward; the attribution of responsibility to others; and families’ reliance on religiosity. Expressions of spirituality emerged as a valuable resource for coping with and navigating these adverse situations. Post-psychiatric hospitalization care typically emphasizes medical consultations, medication adjustments, and symptom management, often overlooking alternative resources such as spiritual or religious factors. When used as a support strategy, spirituality strengthens the relationship between families and the care team and helps improve self-esteem, suggesting that this resource should be explored more extensively by healthcare professionals.
Copyright (c) 2026 Natacha Rocha Guterres, Marcelo Wüst, Maria Luisa Martins Meinhart, Mariana da Silva Barbosa, Rogério Lessa Horta https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Echoes and Resonances of the Ecological Reserve of El Pedregal de San Ángel
This paper analyzes the relationship between philosophy and acoustic ecology in El Pedregal de San Ángel Ecological Reserve (REPSA), highlighting the role of sound in understanding the environment. Three philosophical approaches are discussed: phenomenology, which studies the perception of the soundscape; environmental ethics, which defends the value of sound biodiversity; and philosophical aesthetics, which appreciates the beauty of natural sound. Through these approaches, it reflects on the impact of urban noise and the importance of preserving the acoustic balance in urban ecosystems.
Copyright (c) 2026 Héctor Guzmán García, Héctor Guzmán Sanchéz https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Beyond the Colors We See: Bioethical Reflections on (Not) Anti-Racist Training for Medical Professionals
Medical training plays a key role in shaping care practices, and studying this population can help strengthen anti-racist approaches and expand the health system’s capacity to promote equity. This scoping review, conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, reflects on the importance of anti-racist training for medical professionals through a bioethical lens. In addition to PRISMA procedures, the review incorporates reflections based on intervention bioethics and the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights. The studies analyzed consistently highlighted the need to prioritize anti-racist training. Although bioethics itself was not explored in depth and no explicit theoretical framework was presented, the principle of justice emerged clearly across the articles that were reviewed. The training process fosters anti-racist reflections and practices, encouraging medical students to cultivate empathy, respect cultural differences, act without discrimination, and promote social justice and health equity.
Copyright (c) 2026 Andréa Leite Ribeiro; Renato Soleiman Franco https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Cristiane Pieterzack y Caroline Filla Rosaneli (coords.) (2025). Vulnerabilidad y Bioética
Copyright (c) 2025 Carolina Montero Orphanopoulos https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Between Diversity and Exclusion: Bioethics Reflections on the Vulnerabilities of Neurodivergent People
This article presents a narrative literature review on the vulnerabilities experienced by neurodivergent people, considering ethical, biomedical, legal and social dimensions. Neurodivergence, which includes conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and dyslexia, challenges the traditional biomedical model by proposing the appreciation of neurological diversity as part of the human condition. The analysis highlights tensions between the biomedical and neurodiversity paradigms, pointing out their respective limits and contributions. The discussion focuses on topics such as structural ableism, stigma, informed consent, school inclusion, workplace equity and relational autonomy. National and international legal frameworks that guarantee rights, although still anchored in pathologizing language, are also examined. It concludes that overcoming vulnerabilities requires clinical practices and public policies that combine empathy, restorative justice and the recognition of the plurality of ways of being, thus promoting inclusion that is both effective and equal.
attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity
Copyright (c) 2026 Fernanda Boos-Lima, Bernardo Fumian Silva, Guilherme Vaz de Melo Trindade, Julianne Belchior da Silva, Nicollas Campos Martuchelli, Paula Ludmila Rocha Ferreira, Rafaela de Brito Ribeiro, Maria Isabel Villalobos https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Privacy and Autonomy in the Use of Sensitive Health Data
This study analyzes the ethical tensions between the Brazilian General Data Protection Law (LGPD) and bioethical principles in the processing of sensitive health data. It is a theoretical essay based on a critical-hermeneutical analysis of the LGPD, focusing on articles related to sensitive health data, complemented by a narrative review of recent literature on bioethics and data protection. The digitalization of healthcare expands the use of sensitive data and demands ethical and legal protection. However, difficulties remain in the application of the LGPD, such as consent, access in emergencies, interoperability, and the secondary use of information, highlighting tensions between legal security and healthcare practice. The articulation between legislation and bioethics requires not only compliance with regulations but also professional training, institutional governance and patient participation. This alignment is essential to guarantee security, transparency and respect in the use of sensitive health data.
Copyright (c) 2026 Julia Ronize Costa de Campos, Verônica Roso de Pelegrini, Liliane Alves Pereira https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
What Pain Leaves Behind: Secondary Gains and Reinterpretations in Women with Fibromyalgia
This article examines the concept of secondary gains in the context of chronic pain, specifically in women with fibromyalgia, from an ethical, anthropological, and narrative perspective. Based on accounts gathered in a qualitative study, it analyzes how suffering is not simply loss or impairment, but can generate subjective transformations, affective bonds, and new meanings in life. Far from idealizing pain, the text proposes a critical reinterpretation of it as a complex experience which, under certain conditions, can foster agency, community and the reappropriation of identity. It advocates for hermeneutic bioethics that embraces the plurality of interpretations of suffering and recognizes the moral value of the testimony of those who inhabit the suffering body.
Copyright (c) 2026 Fernanda de Blas López, Liz Hamui-Sutton https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Vulnerability and Stakeholders: An Integrative Proposal for Sustainability in Healthcare Management
Healthcare management currently faces numerous challenges that threaten the long-term sustainability of the health system. Among them, the most prominent include population aging, social inequalities, technological disruption, governance issues, and climate change. The present study proposes an integrative theoretical framework combining the principle of vulnerability from European bioethics and the ontological stakeholder theory with the aim of guiding healthcare management toward the common good and sustainability. The principle of vulnerability acknowledges the intrinsic fragility of the human condition, fostering the protection of the most disadvantaged groups through an ethics of care based on relationality and interdependence. The ontological stakeholder theory conceives the healthcare organization as a community of diverse actors whose relationships contribute to value creation through shared rights, responsibilities, and risks. The integration of these approaches gives rise to a proposal governed by four principles: prioritization of stakeholders in vulnerable situations, ontological recognition of contributions, value creation, and participatory governance based on responsibility and transparency. The theoretical model provides an ethical and practical orientation aimed at improving the sustainability and cohesion of the healthcare system and applies to both public and private organizations. Finally, the study discusses its limitations and outlines future areas of research to advance toward a more inclusive, humane and sustainable healthcare management.
Copyright (c) 2026 Pedro J. Ponce-Lozano https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
The Feminization of the Medical Profession, The Permanence of the Medical Palimpsest and its Logic of Masculinization
In recent years, the participation of women in medical training has increased substantially, which has led to consider that the profession is undergoing a process of feminization. However, this article presents, from a series of testimonies of medical professionals in training —residents and undergraduate interns—, elements that allow us to recognize the permanence and reproduction of gendered logics anchored to the Masculine. These logics have been historically elaborated and sedimented, acquiring cultural legitimacy within the profession and becoming moral demands during the training process. This conglomerate, which in this article is referred to as the medical palimpsest, shapes the moral dispositions of physicians-in-training, regardless of their sex, gender identity or other identity coordinates. To account for the medical palimpsest represents the possibility of contributing to clinical bioethics from a critical gender perspective.
Copyright (c) 2025 Luis Alfonso Munive-Valencia, Oliva López Sánchez https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Shared Decision Making and its Application to People with Dementia
Shared decision-making has been gaining more space as it represents a conciliatory model between professional knowledge and the individual's right to self-determination. This article proposes a debate on the use of shared decision-making for patients with dementia. Such patients tend to be considered incapable, and it is common to designate substitutes when decisions have to be made. However, there are consistent reports in the literature that patients are not unable to express needs and references. Several factors are highlighted as capable of influencing the greater or lesser involvement of these individuals, from the stage of the disease, characteristics of the caregiver, such as age and degree of kinship, and the type of decision to be made. The conclusion drawn is that shared decision-making can represent a powerful tool, offering the possibility for patients to exercise their personal autonomy, which will bring better outcomes for them and the professionals involved.
Copyright (c) 2025 Jose Reinaldo Madeiro, Aline Albuquerque https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Bodies, Souls and Rights: A Bioethical Review of 21st Century Surrogacy
Surrogacy raises ethical challenges concerning autonomy, social justice, and reproductive rights. This article takes a bioethical perspective to examine how feminism and utilitarianism can provide a foundation for fair regulatory frameworks governing this practice. Through a systematic review of academic literature (2015-2024) and a comparative analysis of international regulations (Canada, United Kingdom, Ukraine, United States), it identifies tensions between the protection of surrogate mothers and reproductive rights. The findings highlight that: (1) liberal feminism supports surrogacy under informed consent, whereas radical feminism criticizes it as a form of exploitation; (2) utilitarianism justifies the practice if it maximizes collective well-being, although it overlooks structural inequalities. The article concludes that a global regulatory framework should balance autonomy, protection against exploitation, and the rights of the child, while prioritizing human dignity.
Copyright (c) 2025 Gloria Díaz Rodríguez https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Gender Dysphoria in Minors: A Critical Look at Early Medicalization and Proposals for Ethical Support
This article offers a critical analysis of the early medicalization of gender dysphoria in minors from a clinical and bioethical perspective. Beginning with an examination of the Dutch protocol, it explores the tensions between the affirmative model endorsed by WPATH and the recommendations of the British Cass Review. By examining the scientific and ethical foundations underpinning both approaches, the article underscores the inherent complexity of providing care to minors navigating identity-seeking processes. It also offers a bioethical reflection in which the vulnerability of minors is positioned as a guiding principle for deliberation. The article advocates for non-invasive, long-term clinical support and, ultimately, proposes a comprehensive model of care that prioritizes psychosocial assessment, psychological support, family involvement, and therapeutic prudence.
Copyright (c) 2025 Regina Cárdenas Santos, josé María Pardo Sáenz https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
The Dimensions of Health Vulnerabilities Among Transgender People in Brazil: An Integrative Review
Vulnerability is a central theme in public health and bioethics, and transgender people are among the populations most exposed to health risks in Brazil. This group faces high rates of sexually transmitted infections, suicidality, psychoactive substance use, violence, and experiences of social and institutional exclusion. The aim of this study was to analyze the dimensions of vulnerability and their potential mitigating factors in the health of transgender people in Brazil. An integrative review was conducted in national and international databases, following PRISMA guidelines, which resulted in the inclusion of 16 articles. The findings were organized according to Ayres’ model, encompassing individual, social, and programmatic dimensions. Results showed that vulnerabilities are interconnected, reproducing structural inequalities and barriers to access in health services, education, and employment. The conclusion drawn is that the multidimensional approach to vulnerability can guide public policies that are sensitive to the specificities of transgender populations, expanding equality, access, and effectiveness.
Copyright (c) 2025 Diego Guedes da Silva, Caroline Filla Rosaneli, Luciana Schleder Gonçalves, Murilo Karasinski https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Exploring the Link Between Bioethics, Gender, and Sexual Diversity: Perceptions in an Academic Community at Universidad Veracruzana
This study explored perceptions of bioethics, gender, and sexual diversity within the academic community of the Faculty of Biological Pharmaceutical Chemistry at Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa. Through an online survey applied to students and faculty, attitudes and knowledge regarding the integration of gender perspective and the inclusion of sexual diversity in professional training were analyzed. The results show a broad awareness of the importance of these issues, with greater openness among younger generations and faculty members, although cases of discrimination and more conservative positions persist in certain groups. The findings highlight the need to strengthen bioethical education in biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences through inclusive approaches that promote equality and justice. This work provides empirical evidence to guide university and curricular policies toward more respectful and diverse academic communities.
Copyright (c) 2025 Minerva Hernández Lozano, Marcos Fernando Ocaña-Sánchez, Gabriel Arturo Soto Ojeda, Yeyetzy Citlally Cano Callejas, Mauro Antonio Villanueva Lendechy, Erick Joaquín Corro Méndez https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Bioethics, Transgender People and Human Capabilities
The aim of this article is to address the transgender reality from a dialogue between bioethics and Nussbaum's capabilities approach. First, we suggest how we can approach transgender people from a bioethical perspective. Then, we revisit some of the fundamentals of Nussbaum's normative theory to provide a philosophical foundation for bioethics, and we select three core human capabilities proposed by the philosopher in her list to see what they contribute to our understanding of transgender issues. The conclusion leads us to affirm that the capabilities approach, which has human dignity and an anthropology that combines conation and vulnerability at its core, allows us to enrich the bioethical perspective on transgender people. In addition, we also observe that the selected capabilities help us to grasp certain issues of justice, dignity, and rights, which may also raise bioethical problems.
Copyright (c) 2025 Aldo Marcelo Cáceres Roldán https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Keys for Supporting Children and Adolescents in Their Gender Identity Exploration Process as a Teacher: Sustaining, Welcoming, and Listening
This article explores educational support for minors experiencing questions related to gender identity, particularly in trans contexts. From an ethical and pedagogical perspective, it highlights the importance of active listening, emotional containment, and respect for developmental rhythms. It examines the specific characteristics of childhood, adolescence, and youth as stages of identity construction and heightened vulnerability. The article warns against the urgency that often surrounds these processes and proposes a calm, prudent approach grounded in evidence-based information. It also emphasizes the role of families and the need to support them through uncertainty, avoiding rushed responses. The text defends the right to freely develop one’s identity—with or without transition—and advocates for adult presence that does not impose decisions, but rather offers care, presence, and deep respect for the complexity and uniqueness of each personal journey.
Copyright (c) 2025 Marta Pomés Raventós https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
The Invisibility of Women Who Provide Home Care in Brazil
This article aims to discuss gender issues and the global phenomenon of growing demand for unpaid and socially unrecognized home care, a responsibility which, in Brazil, falls mainly to women. The questions asked are: how much time do women devote to caregiving? And do factors such as education, race, and income influence the amount of time devoted to this care? This research adopts a narrative review as its methodological approach based on the analysis and interpretation of data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). The results show that women devote many hours a day to caring for others, in a position of subordination, with distinct and hierarchical social roles, with domestic and caregiving responsibilities, limiting their participation in the labor market and perpetuating inequality. The theoretical discussion is carried out in perspective with the authors Birolli (2016), Bourdieu (2012), Buziquia et al. (2018), Díaz Cueva (2025), Federici (2019), Gilligan (2003), Zoboli (2003), and the results reinforce that gender inequality persists intrinsically in various social spheres.
Copyright (c) 2025 Ana Beatriz Costa Silva, Valquíria Elita Renk https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Integrating Bioethics and Relational Autonomy as a Methodological Proposal
Bioethics is a hybrid discipline based primarily on creative, transdisciplinary dialogue with a gender perspective, between the sciences that affect human values and life in general. Its purpose is to seek, create, and offer solutions to problems arising from biotechnological advances and their intervention in the life of the planet. It requires at least two people to exchange perspectives and worldviews to create reasonable bioethical frameworks. Therefore, in this manuscript, we describe how Homo sapiens reached its current situation thanks to intelligent cooperation. We also discuss how human beings can live, coexist, and survive with other living beings that share the same common home, the Earth, and we design a method applicable to this bioethical dialogue based on relational autonomy (RA).
Copyright (c) 2026 Eduardo Farías Trujillo https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Bioethics and Healthcare quality analyze value judgments and pursue excellence; however, the consolidation of avenues to promote shared institutional progress is still under development. Bioethics Support constitutes different models for helping patients, users and healthcare workers to address, through reflection and deliberation, emerging moral problems in healthcare: clinical, institutional, public health, health system policies and reforms and legislation. No single model is ideal for all circumstances, but they share methodological and organizational properties that provide guidelines for integrating them into ecosystems that link them together according to State and Institutional aspirations. This paper offers an overview of bioethics support models described in the literature and reflects on their connection with healthcare from a rights-based citizenship perspective.
Copyright (c) 2026 Alan Irving Vicenteño León, Carolina Consejo y Chapela https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Javier de la Torre (ed.) (2024). Del sufrimiento insoportable al sufrimiento soportable
Copyright (c) 2025 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
A Humanized View: Reflections on Bioethics Teaching in Mexico
This work offers a succinct look at the direction of bioethics in the international context, together with its progress in Mexico, from a humanized perspective, highlighting the teaching of bioethics and the challenges involved, through important reflections on the positioning of this discipline in the country. An empirical-analytical methodological reference for the inquiry was determined. This made it possible to identify important documentary facts, and place them in sections to examine their configuration and connections. Among the findings, higher education institutions stand on the first front to re-signify and conceive new ways and conditions of being socially responsible through the teaching of bioethics. However, the work emphasizes the fact that there are still gaps in the ethical training of many professionals, and when this exists on a formal level, university education does not affect social and professional practice, which becomes extremely complex due to the biocultural and diverse context found in Mexico.
Copyright (c) 2026 Pedro César Cantú-Martínez https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Bioethics Conflicts in the Care of Transgender Adolescents: An Analysis from the Perspective of Protective Bioethicsthics
Caring for transgender adolescents involves bioethical challenges that require healthcare professionals to be prepared to deal with issues of identity, autonomy, and protection. This study aimed to identify bioethical conflicts experienced by professionals when caring for transgender adolescents. This is a qualitative study involving 14 professionals from specialized outpatient clinics, analyzed using content analysis techniques. Seven categories emerged: disagreement among guardians, authorization for hormone therapy, right to confidentiality, self-medication and sexuality, gender identity and violence, mental health and emotional support, family and religious relationships, and access to health care. The results revealed dilemmas related to adolescent autonomy, family influence, and institutional limitations. Based on the Bioethics of Protection, the analysis highlights the importance of practices based on dignity, qualified listening, and the guarantee of rights, contributing to the bioethical debate on care for the transgender population in childhood and adolescence.
Copyright (c) 2025 Isabela de Castro, Jaqueline Gomes de Jesus, Andréia Patrícia Gomes https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Copyright (c) 2026 Cíntia Pinho-Reis https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
A Minefield: Bioethics and Psychoactive Substance Use in Mexico
In recent years, significant ethical questions have emerged regarding substance use and care policies, making it necessary to conduct a critical analysis of the conflicts identified. The aim of this article is to explore the bioethical dilemmas associated with the field of drug demand reduction. In this study, the various ethical conflicts were grouped into several categories—substance use and autonomy, legalisation versus prohibition, social responsibility, prevention, treatment, and harm reduction—and analysed through the lens of diverse ethical theories. This preliminary review highlights the urgent need to address the dilemmas arising at all levels of this issue through a multidisciplinary approach that encompasses public awareness‑raising, the training of health professionals, the development of public policies and care programs, and the approval of legal initiatives that contribute to safeguarding the health of people who use psychoactive substances.
Copyright (c) 2026 Xóchitl De San Jorge Cárdenas, Monserrat Armenta Reséndiz https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Bioethics and Law in the Face of Euthanasia: Reflections Based on Sentence 67-23-IN/24
The recent ruling by the Ecuadorian Constitutional Court decriminalizing active euthanasia under certain conditions is a momentous milestone in Ecuadorian law, as it sets a precedent by recognizing the right to a dignified death as an extension of the right to a dignified life and the free development of personality. This ruling forces lawyers and physicians to rethink the limits of fundamental rights and patient autonomy in the context of incurable diseases and extreme suffering. In this regard, this paper presents a brief observation on Bioethics and Law, analyzing Constitutional Court Ruling 67-23-IN/24.
Copyright (c) 2025 Paolo Vega López, Patricio Cargua Villalva https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0