Introduction
Apart from being a source of entertainment, films are a powerful form of storytelling, demonstrating past events. For example, based on actual events, the film Miss Evers’ Boys, directed by Joseph Sargent, depicts a story of unethical medical research conducted in Alabama. By targeting poor African American men who struggle with syphilis, the program was aimed at treating them with a placebo. After watching the film, the audience gains insights into how some medical research professionals single-handedly decide that the well-being of a group of people can be sacrificed for the sake of science. Thus, although research was conducted with hopes of grasping the debilitating effects of syphilis on the human body, it involved many violations, which puts the credibility of the program and medical professionals at risk.
Violations of Biomedical Ethics
The purpose of the Tuskegee Study was to explore the effects of syphilis on African American men. As one white doctor explained, “it’s important to know if a negro reacts to syphilis the same way as a white man” (Sargent, 1997, 47:40). The participants of the study were treated for so-called “bad blood,” while not knowing that they had syphilis and did not receive proper treatment (Sargent, 1997, 11:25). At this point, it is evident that a vulnerable population was used, with the involvement of a minority group who struggled due to poverty and a lack of access to healthcare. The individuals who conducted the study were Dr. Brodus and Dr. Douglas, and nurse Eunice Evers assisted them during the study.
Although initially, the participants were cooperative and trusting of the medical personnel, including physicians and nurses, they later became suspicious. This is especially evident when the former participant, Caleb Humphries, received proper treatment with penicillin in the army (Sargent, 1997). When confronted for not treating the patient correctly and advising penicillin shots, the nurse replied, “he’s getting the best kind of care,” while being aware of the study design (Sargent, 1997, 1:13:09). However, not all healthcare professionals agreed with the approaches; they could not resist the study’s design.
Consequently, the ethical principle of beneficence was violated since researchers did not protect the patients against harm. Moreover, the principle of justice was violated, given that the participants were not offered the same healthcare and treatment as the rest of society. Finally, the principle of respect was violated since the participants were not provided with credible information for informed decision-making.
Overall, it is not acceptable to sacrifice the well-being of individuals for the sake of science. Researchers are responsible for doing no harm and prioritizing the welfare of research participants. The Tuskegee Study tragedy was a unique event. However, there are still many cases of unethical medical research throughout history, the most infamous being Elizabeth Holmes’ Theranos blood testing, which involved knowingly delivering wrong patient results (Williams, 2022). Therefore, it is crucial to have established principles and laws to protect the public.
Conclusion
Hence, even if the goal of the research was to understand the crippling effects of syphilis on the human body, several infractions endangered the program’s reputation and those of medical professionals. The Tuskegee study’s goal was to learn more about how syphilis affects African American men. The subjects were initially cooperative and trusted the doctors and nurses, but as time went on, they developed apprehension. In general, it is unacceptable to sacrifice people’s health to advance science. It is the duty of researchers to put the welfare of research participants first and to avoid causing harm.
References
Sargent, J. [Director]. (1997). Miss Evers’ boys [Film]. HBO NYC Productions.
Williams, M. (2022). Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos: A play on more than just ethical failures. Business Information Review, 39(1), 23-31. Web.