Animal Testing

• The practice of animal testing is plagued with numerous ethical and legal issues. Many animal rights organizations that would ban animal testing entirely, arguing that that humans have no right to harm other creatures for their own well-being. Currently, researchers must demonstrate the potential of a research project to improve human welfare before they can begin testing that may harm an animal.
  
  

Human Subject Testing

• Many ethical issues arise in human-subject testing in qualitative research. Although people sign waivers before they participate in such tests, they must be given an exhaustive account of the potential risks, or else the legal validity of the waiver may be challenged. It's illegal to take organs from a human body after death for research purposes, unless the individual agreed to donate the organs.
  
  

Controversial Research

• Sometimes, even the subject matter is ethically contentious. Research on stem cells is frequently controversial, as human embyros are a primary source of these cells. Research on genetic engineering is often opposed on religious grounds as interfering with God's plan. Any research on the sentience of first- or second-trimester fetuses may be seen by some as ethically problematic, as abortion interest groups have a vested political interest in the outcome of the fetal-sentience debate.
  
  

Long Term Consequences

• Medical researchers are responsible for minimizing the negative social consequences of their research. This means changing the course of projects which may be questionable. Most scientists avoid research on eugenics, for example, because such research is seen as providing justification for racism and prejudice. Other medical research products that have had negative effects include psychiatric surgery (e.g. lobotomies) and heroin (originally introduced as a cure for morphine addiction).