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Tuskegee Syphilis Study Research Papers

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“Syphilis Victims in the U.S. Study went untreated for 40 Years” (Heller). That was the front-page story for the New York Times on July 26, 1972. The story is in reference to the infamous Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment. Hundreds of men with syphilis, were tested on and denied treatments. There were numerous scientists and doctors involved in the Tuskegee Study which was prolonged from 1932 to 1972; doctors came and went unnoticed until the story came out. The program would prove to be one of the most horrendous experiments in the history of modern medicine. The Tuskegee Syphilis study was initiated by the U.S. Public Health Services (PHS). It was an experiment to study the natural course of untreated syphilis in black males. The goal was to see …show more content…

He was a supporter for mass screenings and mass treatment programs in the black community. Even after the study decided to go long-term without treatment, Dr. Wenger still gave his advice and assistance. In 1932 Dr. Clark and Dr. Wenger needed an on-site director for the study, and they choose Dr. Raymond H. Vonderlehr. As on-site director, Dr. Vonderlehr conducted many of the initial physical exams. In 1933 Dr. Vonderlehr lobbied Dr. Clark to extend the syphilis study passed the one-year mark when it was originally supposed to end. Dr. Clark ended up retiring, and Vonderlehr took his place as the head of venereal studies of the PHS. He then went forward with his plan to turn the nine month study into a long-term follow-up study of untreated syphilis in the black male. Vonderlehr went on developing all the policies for the next part of the experiment. Little did he know these policies would be in place for the next 40 years. Dr. Vonderlehr’s assistant and mentee was a man named John R. Heller. Dr. Heller was a specialist in epidemiology of sexually-transmitted diseases. He assisted Dr. Vonderlehr with the on-site medical operations in the Tuskegee Study. In 1943, Dr. Vonderlehr stepped down from his position as the director of the venereal disease section, and Dr. Heller took his place. Heller’s years as director coincides with the discovery of penicillin; which was the new treatment for syphilis in PHS clinics. Despite having a cure for syphilis, the doctors decided not to tell the subjects about the

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107 Words | 1 Pages

The Tuskegee syphilis study was conducted in Alabama by the U.S. Public Health Service to study how untreated syphilis would progress by using poor African-American men who were being told they would be receiving free medical care. Subjects were not made aware of the disease and even after penicillin was found to cure syphilis, the men remained untreated by researchers. The failures of this study led to more protections being set for participants of clinical studies. The study in part lead to the Belmont Report and Institutional Review Boards developing to protect human subjects. Informed consent, communicating diagnoses, and reporting test results became a requirement in

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In contrast, some proponents of the PHS decision may argue that the study provided valuable insights into the natural progression of syphilis and informed subsequent medical practices. They contend that the lengthy nature of the study provided a unique opportunity to observe the disease’s evolution over time, including its various stages, which may not have been possible by other means. However, while acknowledging these potential contributions, it is essential to recognize that the purported benefits of the Tuskegee Study must be weighed against its profound shortcomings and the harm inflicted upon its participants. The knowledge gained from the study could arguably have been obtained through ethically sound research methods that prioritize the well-being of participants. The ends cannot justify the means when the means involve the violation of ethical principles and the promotion of harm and injustice.

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1416 Words | 6 Pages

In Tuskegee, Alabama a group of men were chosen for an experiment involving the observation of how syphilis occurs in black men and its long term non-treated consequences. At the time of the experiment, the only treatment that was available was a heavy metal therapy; however, the scientists believed it was doing more harm than good. Therefore, they did not inform the men about the treatment and distracted them with basic incentives like hot meals and transportation. When penicillin, a cure for syphilis, was discovered the doctors made the decision to shield the cure away from the men. This is proof that scientists are

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876 Words | 4 Pages

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In order to have a correct understanding of syphilis’ development, the USPHS ensured that the subjects did not receive treatment from other sources. This inhumane experiment lasted for fifty years until the Assistant Secretary for Health and Scientific affairs appointed an Ad Hoc Advisory Panel to review the study. Soon, it was revealed to the public that the victims did not receive adequate information to provide informed consent. The Panel also discovered that researchers did not offer the victims treatment even when penicillin became the cure for syphilis in 1947. The doctors

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623 Words | 3 Pages

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983 Words | 4 Pages

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1741 Words | 7 Pages

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

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457 Words | 2 Pages

Syphilis includes also tumors, heart disease, paralysis, blindness, and insanity. This experiment made African Americans distrust medical attention back then in 1932 and now today in 2017. This experiment affected many African American males and their families. Flyers started popping up around poor African American counties in Alabama claiming that the Public Health Service (PHS) had special treatment for Colored people. Most of these men were sharecroppers who were poor and illiterate.

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546 Words | 3 Pages

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745 Words | 3 Pages

Autopsy and physician assessments were done at local hospitals. This means a bunch of Tuskegee Institute faculty and staff were involved in the study. The fact that these doctors knew what was going on and didn’t do anything to stop the situation means they were not respecting their rights to be doctors, if you ask me. A doctor is obligated to help anyone they can and these doctors just turned their heads and looked the other way. Though this is one of the reasons the study was unethical, the main reason became known in 1940 when penicillin was discovered to cure syphilis and the researchers still did not offer the medicine to the test

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1121 Words | 5 Pages

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