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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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Miss Evers' Boys Ethics Paper. The Tuskegee Syphilis research, which started in the 1930s, was an unethical prospective research that focused on the disparities between white and black males. In order to test the impact of untreated syphilis, black men and their families were mistreated in this study. One of the worst injustices in American history, the Tuskegee Syphilis Study involved volunteers who knew very little about the illness or the study.

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983 Words | 4 Pages

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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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1342 Words | 6 Pages

The study would ultimately prove that everyone, no matter the color of their skin, is equal when it comes to the disease of syphilis. The intention behind manipulating the men was not for the greater good of society, but instead was for the greater good of Dr. Brodus and Miss Evers. Although the actions of Dr. Brodus and Miss Evers prove to be unethical, I also find the actions to be unprofessional. Miss Evers should have informed the men of the severity of the disease, as well as how the disease is passed from one individual to another. They failed to inform their patients of many of the risks that came along with the disease.

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