Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment Summary

Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment: The Ethics Regarding Biomedical Research Humans are the most complex creature ever to exist on the face of the Earth. For many years, researchers have conducted studies and experiments solely dedicated to understanding the human body and the process of various pathogenesis. The ultimate goal is to discover new and improved ways to protect the body from pathogens threatening the health and well-being of the human race today. Without research, many of the innovations, treatments, practices, and knowledge today would not exist- medicine and patient centered care would be minuscule, life expectancy would be greatly reduced, and evidence-based practice would possibly not exist. There is no doubt that research is
This is because a human life is valued more than any other subject used in clinical trials. In order to ensure the efficacy and legitimacy of treatment, human subjects are the most accurate compared to animals. Human subjects cultivate concrete information and data necessary for the improvement of medicine and health care as a whole. Baillie, McGeehan, T.M. Garrett, and R.M. Garrett (2013) stated, “…human experimentation is necessary for medical progress. Animal testing is useful, but it cannot provide the final word on either safety or efficacy” (p. 300). On the contrary, this does not excuse the researcher from disregarding a clinical participant’s life and safety. According to Baillie et al. (2013), humans are not objects that are used however the researcher desires (p. 293). Human experimentation, conversely, has a long history of abuse. Many rules and guidelines have been set in place to prevent researchers from taking advantage of human subjects all in the name of “science”. Due to these unfortunate events, Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) have been established to protect and oversee the organization and conduction of human experimentation (Baillie et al., 2013). One historical event that led to the development of stringent biomedical experimentation rules and guidelines was the Tuskegee syphilis research experiment (Head, 2012). This experiment was widely acknowledged and is known as
The black sharecroppers in the area were persuaded by researchers to participate in study by way of bribe. Due to the illiteracy in the community, the men were told they were being treated for “bad blood”. In turn for their willingness to participate, the men were granted free medical exams, burial insurance, and free meals after every visit and treatment (Head, 2012). The researchers gathered over 600 men for the study- 399 had syphilis, the remaining 201 did not. Those who did not have the syphilis infection, were injected with the bacteria against their knowledge and consent. None of the men were informed about the disease process; none of the men knew whether or not they were infected; the men were not informed about penicillin; and all the men were denied access to penicillin when it became available in 1943 (Head, 2012). The study was originally established to last six months. Unfortunately, the study lingered on for 40 years. The researchers involved in the study felt the only way to know how syphilis affects the body was to prohibit access to penicillin and study the corpse of the men who died from the disease throughout the duration of the research. Finally, in 1972, the experiment was exploited, and in 1973, a lawsuit was filed on behalf of all the men who participated in the study (Head, 2012). Sadly, many of the men died prior to the exploitation