The first question that was chosen was number six, “Knowing that there have been so many ‘corrupt’ experiments, does that make you question experiments that are done today? Of course, now there are proper procedures, but do you still question or are afraid of what they entail? Why or why not?” Although there are stricter laws and regulation that require the medical professional to fully inform the patient of the detail of the experiment or study, I would still feel great hesitation regarding it all and would probably still feel some fear just because of the history of medical exploration. There is also the blatant disregard from doctors, such as Dr. Chester Southam in the novel and his comments regarding his experiments on the uninformed patients about the cancer injections, “ … To withhold such emotionally disturbing but medically non pertinent details… is in the best tradition of responsible clinical practice” (Skloot 130).
The second question was number seven, “What were your thoughts on Southam & Mandels punishment of getting their medical license suspended for just a year after everything that they did to patients? How does this demonstrate the power and privilege within the medical profession, then and now?” The fact that these doctors were able to literally give their patients cancer without their full knowledge, but didn’t receive either jail time or have their
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These few chapters of the book has shown how medical professionals can and will take advantage of their patients for what they consider the betterment of humanity/ medicine. Through the very first reading we did for the class, “The Women’s Health Movement: A Critique of Medical Enterprise and the Position of Women” by Mary Zimmerman to “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” medicalization is a common thread that links all of the themes of the class thus