Article 6 of the Saudi Fertility Units Law

This article establishes the spouses' right to informed consent before treatment, and sets clear conditions for it:

• Who consents: both spouses together; the text speaks of the consent of the spouses, not of one of them.
• Form of consent: written and explicit, so oral or implied consent is not enough.
• What is consented to: the method of treatment.
• Timing: after they are informed of three things:
  1. all the treatment procedures.
  2. its risks.
  3. the likely results.

The medical unit is therefore bound to explain to the spouses what will be done to them, what risks may follow, and what the results may be, and then to obtain their explicit written consent. The treatment methods meant include those defined in Article 1, such as ovulation induction, artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization (test-tube baby) and micro-injection.

This article follows Article 5, which prohibits insemination with sperm from someone other than the husband, fertilizing an egg of someone other than the wife, or implanting in the uterus of another woman. It is followed by Article 7, which requires at least two specialists to confirm that the identity and medical record number of the spouses match when collecting samples, fertilizing and transferring the zygote and embryos.

Anyone who believes they were not informed of the treatment's risks before giving consent may consult a lawyer specializing in health regulations.