Final answer:
Informed consent for tissue donation should clearly detail the tissues to be recovered, the purpose of their use, potential benefits and risks, and the voluntary nature of consent. Modern ethical and legal standards require written consent forms and a comprehensive understanding by donors to ensure the voluntariness and comprehension of consent.
Step-by-step explanation:
To obtain informed consent for tissue donation, it is essential that the consent includes detailed information about the procedure. A proper consent form should provide clear details about the tissues to be recovered, including what tissues are involved and for what purpose they will be used. Other essential details include potential benefits and risks, how privacy will be protected, the voluntary nature of participation, and the right to withdraw consent at any time without penalty. Additionally, the process also involves ensuring the informed consent is truly informed, meaning the person giving consent understands all the implications, and that their decision is made freely without coercion.
Today, issues surrounding informed consent are regulated by institutional review boards (IRBs), which mandate several components in any experiment they approve, including the need for clear, written consent forms. These issues are now seen in the context of both ethical practice and legal requirements, contrasting with the less regulated practices of the past, as observed in the historical case of Henrietta Lacks. In Lacks's case, tissues were taken without consent, leading to questions about the fairness and legality of such actions both in the past and in the continuation of research using those tissues today.