What should an informed consent include?

It should address, at a minimum, the purpose of the intervention, reasonable alternatives, expected benefits, risks and foreseeable adverse effects. It should also include the possible consequences of not carrying out the intervention, and the conditions for follow-up. It should also allow for questions and verify understanding. The Ministry of Health has reiterated that informed consent is a professional act that must be recorded in the medical record and must be understood by the patient. It is important to insist that a further explanation can be requested in simple language, without technicalities, with visual aids if necessary, and to ask for reasonable time to decide when the clinical situation allows it. In SOC-8, WPATH (health care guidelines for transgender people) recognises that some people require repeated explanations and communication strategies to ensure understanding and an informed decision.