01295nas a2200241   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653002000055653001100075653001200086653000900098653003100107653002100138100001500159700001500174245007200189856005900261300001000320490000700330050003200337520067000369022001401039       2001                            d  c2001 Sep10aEthics, Medical10aHumans10aleprosy10aMale10aPatient Education as Topic10aTruth Disclosure1 aPorter J D1 aKessel A S00aNeeding to know? Ethical dilemmas in leprosy treatment and control.  uhttp://leprev.ilsl.br/pdfs/2001/v72n3/pdf/v72n3a02.pdf  a246-90 v72  aInfolep Library - available3 a<p>A young man presents to your local clinic in a leprosy endemic country with a small patch of discoloured skin on his right forearm. The diagnosis is clear. You start to explain, but the man stops you: he doesn't want to hear more, just requests the medicine. But you are 'in conflict', and not just by the desire to discuss the situation more fully with your patient before prescribing a drug. The local public health team, of which you are a part, is currently evaluating the impact on the community's health of a patient education programme which necessitates informing all new leprosy cases of their diagnosis. What should you do? And can bio-ethics help?</p>  a0305-7518