Summary Of The Tuskegee Study

A large part of Major Problems in American History since 1945 involves the struggle for human rights, whether based on race, religion, creed, or sexual orientation. However, one group of human subjects, those participating in medical experimentation, was lacking any protection of basic human rights until gaining attention in the 1940’s. This struggle persisted well into the late 1970’s and is still an important area of debate today. A primary-source supplement should be added to Major Problems to discuss the battle for the protection of human subjects in medical experimentation. Although the topic lacked significant national coverage like other human rights movements, unethical practices in medical research affected many people and has been

Two infamous examples of long term medical malpractice that received a great deal of attention were the Tuskegee Syphilis Study in 1972 and the case of Henrietta Lacks in 1976. The Tuskegee Study, which lasted 40 years, is possibly the longest non-therapeutic experiment conducted on human beings in modern medical history. The Evening Times in Trenton, New Jersey was one of many newspapers that reported the investigation of the study following an announcement by The Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Men Allowed to Die is an important primary source to add to Major Problems in that it provides a summary of the study while showing the media’s increasing involvement in reporting such issues. Additionally, the Tuskegee Study shows that there were many well established physicians participating in unethical practices – not just young doctors trying to prove themselves as Beecher had previously suggested. Finally, the study further demonstrates the tendency of researchers to recruit subjects who were unable to resist participation or understand the risks involved in the research. The press reported that Tuskegee, Alabama was chosen as the place to perform the study because of the high incidence of syphilis. However, it was more likely chosen because of the race and economic status of those who lived there

It began with a sample of cancerous cells that were taken without the knowledge or consent of an individual, Mrs. Henrietta Lacks. In a section of the article, Lacks’ husband explicitly states that he did not consent to the use of Henrietta’s cells for medical experimentation after her death, and it is clear that he knew very few details involved in the study. Nevertheless, Henrietta’s cells are still used today in laboratories around the world (“The Miracle”). While similar to the Tuskegee Study in that Lacks was an uneducated African American woman of low economic status, what is different about this primary source is the tone in which the article was written. As noted earlier, by the 1970’s the public was much more critical of immoral behavior by physicians. However, the tone of EBONY’s article is very favorable, acting instead as a tribute to Lacks and the doctors who discovered her immortal cells. This suggests that even well into the 1970’s many people were still willing to overlook unethical research practices as long as the result was perceived as a substantial contribution to medical