Question

View the movie: "Miss Ever Boys". Individually, analyze how the principles of beneficence, respect for human dignity (or respect for persons), and justice were violated during the Tuskegee Study.

In your analysis consider:

1. Did the study involve vulnerable subjects?
2. Why did the "boys" not receive penicillin when it became available?
3. How did the physician defend his refusal to allow the "boys" access to penicillin?
4. How did participation in the study alter their lives and health?
5. What was more important: a group of individuals being negatively affected in a study or the scientific knowledge that could be gained.

Answer 1

THIS FILM TELLS THE STORY OF THE TUSKEGEE EXPERIMENT ,A U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SECRET MEDICAL EXPERIMENT ON POOR AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN IN THE YEARS 1932-1972,DESIGNED TO STUDY THE EFFECTS OF UNTREATED SYPHILIS.

THE STORY IS TOLD FROM THE PRESPECTIVE OF THE SMALL TOWN NURSE EUNICE EVERS WHO IS WELL AWARE OF THE LACK OF TREATMENT,BUT FEELS HER ROLE IS TO CONSOLE THE INVOLVED MEN,MANY OF WHOM ARE HER CLOSE FRIENDS

THIS FILM PORTRAYS THE EMOTIONAL EFFECTS OF ONE OF THE MOST AMORAL INSTANCES OF GOVERNMENT EXPERIMENTATION ON HUMAN SUBJECTS EVER COMMITTED AND IS BASED ON THE TRUE STORY OF THE DECADES -LONG TUSKEGEE EXPERIMENT .IN A TIME OF RACIAL INEQUALITY AND IGNORANCE ,DOCTORS AND POLITICIANS BOTH QUESTIONED IF THE MECHANISM OF A DISEASE WASDIFFERENT BETWEEN RACES.

CRITICAL AMONG THIS MOVIE IS ITS ETHICAL PRINCIPLES AS THEY RELATE TO RESEARCH AND SUBJECT WELFARE ARE FAILED.DULY NOTED AMONG THESE PRINCIPLES IS THAT OF BENEFICIENCE.BENEFICENCE IS A CONCEPT IN RESEARCH ETHICS WHICH STATES THAT RESEARCHERS SHOULD HAVE THE WELFARE OF THE RESEARCH PARTICIPANT AS A GOAL OF ANY CLINICAL TRIAL OR OTHER RESEARCH STUDY.

IN THIS MOVIE SHOWS THE VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS THAT MEANS THEY INVESTIGATED THE NATURAL COURSE OF SYPHILIS,THEY TOOK BLACK MALES IN SMALL TOWN -TUSKEGEE,AND THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP=400 ,CONTROL-200,IN THIS, THEY TOOK THE CONSENT WITH OUT ANY INFORMATION.IN OUR HUMAN DIGNITY THE PHYSICIAN OR ANY RESEARCHERS SHOULD INFORM THE PROCEDURES AND DIAGNOSIS ,TREATMENTS TO THE CLIENTS.THEY SHOULD TOOK A CONSENT AFTER DETAILED EXPLANATION ABOUT THE TREATMENT.BUT HERE THEY TOOK CONSENT BUT NOT INFORMED ABOUT THE PROCEDURES.THEY VIOLATE THE HUMAN DIGNITY OR RESPECT.

HERE NO ONE RECEIVED PENICILLIN AFTER IT WAS DISCOVERED AS EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR SYPHILIS IN 1950 BECAUSE INFORMATION WITHHELD FROM THE EXPERIMENT CLIENT ABOUT TREATMENT

NO INFORMATION WAS GIVEN ABOUT THE NATURE OF THE ILLNESS AND THEY WERE ONLY SAID THAT THEY HAD BAD BLOOD.

RESPECT FOR HUMAN DIGNITY

RIGHT TO SELF DETERMINATION ;FREEDOM TO PARTICIPATE

HERE THEY VIOLATE THE DIGNITY THEY DIDNOT CHECK THE FAMILY,AND ALSO NOT ALLOW THE FREE FROM COERCION THAT MEANS IF PERSONS CHOOSES TO NOT PARTICIPATE OR NO SIGNIFICANT REWARDS IF DOES PARTICIPATE

RIGHT TO DISCLOSURE

RESEARCHERS FULLY DESCRIBES THE NATURE OF THE STUDY,SUBJECTS RIGHT TO REFUSE,RESEARCHERS RESPONSIBILITIES,RISKS AND BENEFITS

HERE THEY TOOK CONSENT -MISINFORMATION PURPOSEFULLY GIVEN TO SUBJECTS ,UNETHICAL.

HERE WE IDENTIFIED 3 ETHICAL PRINCIPLES ( AND HOW IT IS FOLLOW )

1.BENEFICIENCE

DO NO HARM;

THAT MEANS RESEARCH ONLY BY QUALIFIED SCIENTISTS

TERMINATE STUDY WHENEVER PARTICIPANT COULD BE INJURED ,DISABLED,STRESSED,OR DIE

TREATMENT TESTED ON ANIMALS PRIOR TO HUMANS

DISTRESS MAY BE MORE PSYCHOLOGICAL THAN PHYSICAL, SO RESEARCHER MUST BE SENSITIVE TO ANY TYPE OF SUBJECT STRESS.

2..FREEDOM FROM EXPLOITATION

SUBJECT MUST FULLY UNDERSTAND HIS/HER PARTICIPATION IN THE STUDY

FULLY PREPARED

INFORMATION SHARED REMAINS CONFIDENTIAL AND CANNOT BE USED AGAINST THE SUBJECT.

3.RISK -BENEFIT RATIO

ASSESS BOTH POTENTIAL BENEFITS AND RISKS

THINK THE SUBJECT FAMILY

INFORMED CONSENT COVERS BOTH POTENTIAL BENEFITS AND RISKS

HERE THE STORY THEY DONOT FOLLOW ETHICAL PRINCIPLES

=VULNERABLE SUBJECTS HERE IS

HOMELESS POOR BLACK MEN

note:ANYONE WHO MIGHT BE VULNERABLE TO COERCION TO PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH.

HERE THE MOVIE MAINLY IMPACTS IN TWO SUBJECTTHE SELECTION OF FELLOWS AND IT WAS USED A SUCH VULNERABLE THE ETHIC OF THE PROCEDURE AND THE RACIAL QUESTION

=ALTHOUGH PENICILLIN WAS AVAILABLE IN THE FORTYS DECADE AND LATER IT WOULD BE KNOWN THAT WITH OUT ANTIBIOTICS ITS HOPE OF LIFE DECREASED BY 20%.THOSE WHO RECEIVED BY PHYSICIANS TREATMENT BEFORE 1972 WERE RELATED TO THE STUDY.

WHEN THE USE OF PENICILLIN BECAME EXTENSIVE ,THIS ANTIBIOTIC BEGAN TO BE USED TO TREAT DIFFERENT INFECTIONS IN THE SAME HOSPITAL OF TUSKEGEE,BUT ITS APPLICATION TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE STUDY ON THE SYPHILLIS WAS REFUSED.ALSO A LIST WITH THEIR NAMES WAS ELABORATED IN ORDER TO AVOID ITS APPLICATION BY SANITARY PERSONNEL UNKNOWING THE ASSAY.THEY WITHHELD TREATMENT AND INFORMATION ABOUT PENICILLIN BECAUSE THEY CONTINUED THE STUDY WITHOUT TREATING ANY PARTICIPANTS.IN ADDITION,SCIENTISTS PREVENTED PARTICIPANTS FROMM ACCESSING SYPHILIS TREATMENT PROGRAMES AVAILABLE TO OTHER RESIDENTS IN THE AREA.SO THEY DID NOT TAKE PENICILLIN

=THE PHYSICIAN CO-DIRECTOR OF THE STUDY RESORTS TO THE PRINCIPLE ;FIRST OF ALL,NOT TO CAUSE DAMAGE; THE HIGHEST RANGE ONE IN THE PROFESSIONAL ETHIC.THE PHYSICIAN MANIFESTED THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WAS TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THERE WERE NOT BIOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES IN THE DISEASE EVOLUTION BETWEEN WHITE AND BLACK POPULATION.

THE PHYSICIANS  WERE INITIALLY TOLD THAT THE STUDY WAS ONLY GOING TO LAST 6 MONTHS BUT IT WAS EXTENDED TO 40 YEARS,THE STUDY WAS CONTINUED WITHOUT INFORMING THE MEN THAT THEY NEVER BE TREATED .THE PHYSICIAN NOT EXPLAIN THE DIAGNOSIS .THEY REFUSE TO GIVE PENICILLIN BECAUSE FOR THE CONTINUED THE STUDY WITHOUT TREATING ANY PARTICIPANT.THE PHYSICIAN TOLD THAT THE PARTICIPANT HAVE BAD BLOOD SO THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY IDEA OF THE TREATMENT.

=THE STUDY AFFECT THE LIVES AND HEALTH OF THE PARTICIPANTS. THE VICTIMS OF THE STUDY,ALL AFRICAN-AMERICAN ,INCLUDED NUMEROUS MEN WHO DIED OF SYPHILIS ,40 WIVES WHO CONTRACTED THE DISEASE AND 19 CHILDREN BORN WITH CONGENITAL SYPHILIS.

DESPITE THE RISK OF INFECTING OTHERS ,THE DISEASE COULD LEAD TO BLIDNESS,DEAFNESS,MENTAL ILLNESS ,HEART DISEASE,BONE DETERIORATION,COLLAPSE OF THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM AND DEATH.

=WE CRITICALLY ANALYSE HOW THE CONCEPT OF NEGATIVE KNOWLEDGE CONTRIBUTES TO THE UNDERSTANDING OF PROFESSIONALS EXPERT PRACTICE AND LEARNING.NEGATIVE KNOWLEDGE IS EXPERIENTIALLY ACQUIRED KNOWLEDGE ABOUT WHAT IS WRONG AND WHAT IS TO BE AVOIDED DURING PERFORMANCE IN A GIVEN WORK SITUATION.

AVOID SERIOUS ERRORS IS AN IMPORTANT QUALITY OF PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE.,TO CLARIFY AN IMPORTANT ATTRIBUTE OF NEGATIVE KNOWLEDGE.