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Written Assignment Unit 7bio
Written Assignment Unit 7bio
Introduction
The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment is one of the most notorious examples of unethical
medical research in modern times. This study, which began in 1932, involved the U.S. Public
Health Service studying the natural course of untreated syphilis in African American men in
rural Alabama. The participants were not informed of the nature of the study or its potential
risks, and they were not given the opportunity to give informed consent. The study continued
for 40 years, during which time many of the participants died from syphilis or related
complications. This paper will analyze the Tuskegee Study and its ethical implications based
Informed Consent
One of the basic principles of ethical research involving human subjects is the requirement
for informed consent. In the Tuskegee Study, participants were not informed of the nature of
the study, nor were they given the opportunity to provide informed consent. If the researchers
had obtained informed consent from the participants, it would not have removed all questions
about whether the study was ethical. Informed consent is necessary but not sufficient for
ethical research. Researchers have a responsibility to ensure that the risks and benefits of the
study are explained clearly to participants and that they have the freedom to withdraw from
Eunice Rivers, the African American nurse who played a vital role in the Tuskegee Study,
justified her support for the project by stating that the attention given to the men was more
than they would have received otherwise. However, this justification is not valid. The study
involved withholding treatment from participants who had a potentially deadly disease, which
is a violation of the principle of beneficence. Ms. Rivers should have considered the impact
of the study on the participants and their families, as well as the ethical implications of the
study, before supporting it. If I were in her place, I would have considered the principles of
respect for persons, beneficence, and justice, and the potential impact of the study on the
The Tuskegee Study failed to conform to each of the three criteria proposed by the Belmont
Report. Respect for persons involves treating individuals as autonomous agents who have the
right to make their own decisions. The participants in the Tuskegee Study were not given the
opportunity to make an informed decision about their participation, and their autonomy was
violated. The principle of beneficence involves protecting individuals from harm and
ensuring that the risks of the study are minimized. The participants in the Tuskegee Study
were not given adequate treatment for their disease, which resulted in many deaths and
serious health consequences. The principle of justice involves ensuring that the benefits and
burdens of the study are distributed fairly. The participants in the Tuskegee Study were
mostly poor African American men who were not given the same standard of care as other
The healthcare professionals of that time justified conducting the Tuskegee Study on African
American men because they believed that syphilis affected African Americans differently
than other populations. They believed that the study would provide valuable information
about the natural course of the disease in African Americans. However, this justification was
based on racial stereotypes and is not valid. The Tuskegee Study was a clear violation of the
research and healthcare providers, especially among African Americans. It highlighted the
need for ethical guidelines for human subject research and led to the creation of the National
Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research.
The study also had a significant impact on the lives of the participants and their families,
Eunice Rivers, the African American nurse who played a vital role in the study, has justified
her support for the project on account of the fact that the attention that she and the other
medical staff gave to the men was more than a non-enrolled, poor, Macon County resident
was likely to receive. In her view, the men would have had no access to medical care if not
for the study, and their participation ensured that they received some medical care. However,
her justification does not hold up to ethical scrutiny. It is true that the medical care provided
to the men was better than what they would have received otherwise, but this does not justify
the deception, harm, and exploitation to which they were subjected. (Infoplease Staff, 2017)
If I were in her place, I would consider several factors important to reach a conclusion about
supporting or opposing the research. First, I would evaluate the research design and its
potential benefits and risks. I would also examine the ethical considerations of informed
consent, confidentiality, and the potential for harm to the participants. Additionally, I would
consider the social context and the history of medical exploitation of African Americans,
which should have raised red flags about the study's ethical implications. Overall, I would
conclude that the study was unethical and would refuse to participate in it.
The Tuskegee Study fails to conform to each of the three criteria proposed by the Belmont
participants informed consent. The researchers deceived the men by telling them that they
were being treated for "bad blood," a term that had no medical meaning, instead of syphilis.
By not informing the participants about the true nature of the study, the researchers denied
Additionally, the researchers did not obtain consent from the participants' spouses or family
members, which further violated the principle of respect for persons. (NCPH, 1979)
b. Beneficence: The study also violated the principle of beneficence by exposing the
participants to harm without any potential benefit. The researchers knew that they were
withholding treatment from the participants and that the men were suffering from a deadly
disease. By not providing the participants with proper treatment, the researchers caused
c. Justice: The study also violated the principle of justice by selecting a vulnerable
population, African American men, and exploiting them for research purposes. The
researchers targeted poor, illiterate, and marginalized men who had limited access to
healthcare and education. The researchers chose these men because they believed that the
men would be compliant and easy to control. The researchers did not provide the participants
with adequate compensation or medical care, which further violated the principle of justice.
(NCPH, 1979)
The healthcare professionals of that time provided several justifications for conducting
experiments on these African American men and their families. One of the justifications was
that the men were already infected with syphilis and that the study could provide valuable
information about the course of the disease. Another justification was that the study could
provide insight into the development of new treatments for syphilis. Additionally, some
healthcare professionals believed that the study could help reduce the spread of syphilis by
Conclusion
The consequences for our society from this unethical project have been significant. The
Tuskegee Study is widely considered one of the most egregious examples of medical research
abuse in history. The study undermined the trust between the medical profession and African
American communities and reinforced suspicions of medical exploitation and neglect. The
study also contributed to the development of new ethical guidelines and regulations for
human subject research, such as the Belmont Report, which established the principles of
informed consent, respect for persons, beneficence, and justice. These guidelines have helped
prevent similar.
Infoplease Staff. (2017, February 11). The Tuskegee syphilis experiment. Infoplease.
https://www.infoplease.com/history/black-history/the-tuskegee-syphilis-experiment
Jones, J. H. (1981, June 21). The New York Times. Retrieved March 15, 2023, from
https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/98/12/06/specials/jones-blood.html
National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral
Research. (1979). The Belmont Report: Ethical principles and guidelines for the protection of
https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/regulations-and-policy/belmont-report/read-the-belmont-report/
index.html