Syphilis Research Paper

Antonio Boyd
Intro to Psychology
Mr. Joseph J. Oaster, Jr. Med
Reaction Paper #1 During the years 1932 through 1972, the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) used 399 African American men, for lack of a better term, as lab rats. They conducted an experiment on these men, monitoring the late stages of the venereal disease syphilis. These men were of the poorest in Alabama’s society during this period. They were uneducated sharecroppers, whom were told that they were being treated for having bad blood. A doctor, one of whom had no intentions on curing these men of syphilis, indicated that him as well as his colleges, had no interest in the patients until they were dead. The initial study was meant to discover how syphilis affected African
28 of the men had died directly from syphilis, 100 of the men were dead from related complications, 40 of their wives had been infected with syphilis, and 19 of the men’s children had been born with congenital syphilis. To one day ensure that the men would show up for a potentially painful and dangerous spinal tap, the PHS doctors led the patients to believe that this was their “Last Chance for Special Free Treatment.” This experiment stooped as low as to getting the Surgeon General of the United States to send out certificates of appreciation after 25 years in the study, to these
This to me was not an adequate reimbursement for all the losses that these men have incurred. I mean, just look at the facts, 128 of the men died before the experiment had come to an end, so they will never reap the benefits of their life long struggle with the disease. 40 of the men’s wives had in return been infected with the disease, so what do they get? I mean do they get the treatment as well? Lastly, 19 of their children were born with congenital syphilis. These children did not even ask to come into the world, let alone be born with a non curable disease that they now have to live with for the rest of their lives. This is just