I first heard about Henrietta Lacks story after noticing and advertisement of Oprah Winfrey directing or possibly playing the role of Ms. Lacks. Reading the caption underneath the picture posted I decided to inquire more about the Henrietta Lacks. Ms. Lacks was an African American woman who found out in 1951 after a biopsy, Lacks was diagnosed with cervical cancer. The manifestation of the tumor was unlike anything that had ever been seen by the examining gynecologist Dr. Howard Jones. Henrietta Lacks was treated at the segregated John Hopkins Hospital with radium tube inserted and sewn into her body, a standard treatment at that time sewn in her body. However, a few days after doctors removed the tubes and performed an X-Ray exam. The doctors, took two samples, a noncancerous and a cancerous part of her cervix without her permission. These cells would ultimately develop into the HeLa immortal cell line, a universally used cell line in biomedical research. My immediate reaction to the ethical issue with Henrietta Lacks cell taken without her permission disturbed me because I felt if she was a White woman doctors would have asked for permission and would have given credit …show more content…
Many Supreme Court precedent cases have assisted in the battle for civil right for people of color. Therefore, the attempt to harvest someone cells without permission is less likely to happen now unless persons live in a third war country which human rights is an irrelevant concern or issue. Henrietta Lacks’ story violates and impact research today because her treatment desecrated her individual rights since she was a woman of color. The effects of Henrietta Lacks’ mistreatment makes me question society views on “black lives matter” if we’re not violating people of color on a slab table were currently mistreating them within the criminal justice