Ethical principles of biomedical research on human subjects: their application and limitations in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Biomedical research on human subjects involves certain ethical principles, several of which are described in this article. It is also true, however, that application of these principles in real life poses problems, especially in the case of international research conducted under culturally diverse conditions. This presentation examines certain cultural and institutional circumstances prevailing in much of Latin America and the Caribbean that show a predilection to pose problems of this kind. This is not done to encourage research without ethical principles, but rather to familiarize investigators with cultural differences, so that these differences can be considered when studies on human subjects are being conducted, thereby improving the prospects for beneficial research that respects ethical principles within different cultural contexts.