It is not always clear whether a doctor should tell the truth to a patient or not. On the one hand, patients have a right to know what is the matter with them and what the future holds, so that they can make their own informed decisions, however upsetting the truth may be. It is a simple issue of human rights. But on the other hand, a patient's health may sometimes be better served by not knowing a frightening truth. For instance, a doctor may believe that a patient's medical condition will actually worsen if they realise how serious it is. Therefore, there are cases in which doctors have no choice: they must decide in favour of deceiving the patient.