Respect for persons supports which right regarding bodily autonomy?

• A. The right to informed consent
• B. The right to control one’s own body
• C. The right to mandatory treatment
• D. The right to be coerced into treatment

Answer: (B)

Respect for persons centers on treating individuals as autonomous agents with the authority to make decisions about their own bodies. Bodily autonomy means each person has the right to control what happens to their body, including whether to accept medical care. The option that best expresses this is the right to control one’s own body, because it directly captures the self-governance aspect at the heart of autonomy.

Coercion or compulsory treatment undermine that autonomy by overriding the individual's control, while informed consent is a practical process that helps honor autonomy by ensuring decisions are voluntary and informed. So, the fundamental right being referenced here is the right to control one’s own body.