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The Ethical Principles That Were Violated In The Tuskegee Study

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Recommended: Principles of ethics in biomedical research

It was during the 1930s when the United States faced a serious health crisis. Many individuals were reported to be suffering from a sexually transmitted infection (STI) known as syphilis. Rashes and painful sores were some of the significant initial symptoms of this infection, which afflicted nearly 1 in 10 Americans during that time period. After such aforementioned initial symptoms progress, an individual is left with damaged internal organs, disorders in both the heart and brain, and vision loss or blindness. At the time, there was no known treatment for syphilis; however, bismuth and mercury were used to treat individuals with syphilis, both of which were regarded as unreliable and potentially harmful if used. The crisis spiraled out of hand, and the public became frightened for their safety, …show more content…

Thus, this reaction paper highlights some of the ethical principles that were violated in the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. Even during the recruitment phase, the people in charge of the study violated ethical principles by lying to potential participants (black men). They distributed flyers informing individuals that they would be treated for syphilis if they participated in the study. The participants had no idea that taking part in the study would endanger their lives. The medical experts involved in the study were secretly aiming to discover whether blacks react to syphilis in the same way that whites do, as well as determine how long an individual can survive with syphilis without treatment. From start to finish, the study was conducted without the participants' informed consent, as they were never told the true purpose of the study, and if they had been, I believe they would not have continued participating even if promised rewards in return. It's important to note that, according to today's bioethical standards, administering treatments in a research study without a

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