 Whether being informed is cashed out in terms of disclosure or of comprehension, and whichever standard is used, asking that patients or study participants be even adequately informed is sometimes asking too much. U.S. federal regulations waive the information requirement in research for some studies that involve no more than a minimal risk. In clinical care, many patients would rather not think about risks and prognoses that would turn their stomachs and that they can do little about. In some such contexts it seems cogent not to demand informing in any form (see sections 6, 7 below). However, outright lies surely remain forbidden even in such circumstances. A possible conclusion is that informed consent encompasses several layers of requirement that differ in their stringency.