Should we protect the most sensitive people?

The recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) are based on a population average, rather than on the available data for subpopulations. From an ethical point of view, this approach is far from unproblematic. Strong reasons can be given in support of a right for each radiation-exposed person to have the best possible information about the risk to himself or herself, which is often group-specific information. Risk exposures have to be defensible from the perspective of each identifiable group for which a specific risk assessment can be made. Exposing a person to a high risk cannot be justified by pointing out that the risk to an average person would have been much lower. There are two major ways to protect a sensitive group: special standards for the group (differentiated protection) and general standards that are strict enough to protect its members (unified protection). Some major factors that are relevant for the choice between these two protective strategies are identified.