An adult who is conscious and mentally competent has the legal right to:

• A. Be touched by medical staff.
• B. Refuse to permit touching of their body.
• C. Forfeit rights to refuse at the doctor's request.
• D. The physician may compel treatment.

Answer: (B)

The key idea is patient autonomy and informed consent. An adult who is conscious and mentally competent has the legal authority to decide what happens to their body, including whether medical staff may touch them. They may refuse to permit touching or any examination, and clinicians must respect that decision. The other statements conflict with this principle: a competent adult is not guaranteed to be touched, cannot be forced to surrender the right to refuse, and a physician cannot compel treatment against the patient’s will in non-emergency situations. (Only in emergencies or with a legally recognized surrogate would consent be overridden.) In this scenario, the person’s right to refuse is the correct standard.