Question

Summarize the Tuskegee Syphilis Study (in one paragraph). Why was this experiment unethical? Discuss the ethical issues that were raised as a result of the study. write 300 word essay with 3 references

Answer 1

Tuskegee syphilis experiment was conducted in Tuskegee University on Negro men. It was conducted by US public health service in year 1932 to 1972. The study was conducted with the  purpose to observe the natural progression of untreated syphilis in rural African-American men in Alabama. It  was conducted to understand the disease's natural history throughout time and to also determine proper treatment dosage for specific people and the best time to receive injections of treatments. Study was under the disguise of receiving free health care from the United States government.

The study was unethical as the participants involved in the study did not know about the experiment nor did they know about their roles in study. The paticipants were miscommunicated and manipulated in the name of providing treatment. No informed consent was taken from them. Moreover the researchers were biased on the name of race and colour. They were also biased against African American sexuality. This led to unaccurate results of the study.

As the aftermath of this study  the Office for Human Research Protections(OHRP) was established within the US Department of Health and Human Services. Now mandatory informed consent, communication of diagnosis, and accurate reporting of test results are necessary for any study.