Scientists have always found the human body with all its features and diseases fascinating. Over the centuries, there have been many experimental attempts to unravel some of the mysteries. However, several of those experiments remain in history as despicable acts against humanities, also known as research disasters. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Tuskegee syphilis study in terms of its circumstances and repercussions.
Background
In the 1920s, syphilis had a high incidence rate in the United States. According to Barret (2019), it was diagnosed more often than typhoid, gonorrhea, or diphtheria. Macon County, Alabama, had the highest syphilis incidence rate in the country, so it was chosen for a new healthcare experiment. Howell (2017) notes that scientists divided humans into different races at the time, each having a particular set of features. According to this principle, The U.S. Public Health Service decided to research the effects of syphilis on the African American population in Tuskegee and recruited six hundred men in 1932. As some members of the study group moved away from Tuskegee, other participants were added, so the exact number remains unknown. The USPHS ensured that the participants were not treated because the objective was to observe the effects of the disease until their death. In 1972, the New York Times published an article regarding the issue, which raised concerns in the government (Barret, 2019). Following this article, the study was terminated on November 16, 1972.
Consequences
The Tuskegee study had a severe impact on the lives of the people involved. Two hundred and one of the initial participants did not have syphilis originally but contracted it in the course of the experiment (Barret, 2019). In 1955, the investigators stated that “life expectancy ages 25-50 years is reduced by about 17%” (Howell, 2017, para. 8). In fact, these men were put at risk only due to them representing the Macon County African American community. According to Howell (2017), only 74 participants were still alive by 1972, while “at least 28, possibly as many as 100, had died from syphilis” (para. 12). Following the study’s termination, 70 survivors received 37500 dollars each from a class-action lawsuit (Howell, 2017). In 1997, President Clinton issued an official apology to the participants and their families.
Ethical/Legal Issues
The Tuskegee study was investigated due to apparent ethical issues that surrounded it. According to Barret (2019), most of the participants were poor and illiterate; none of them were informed of the details of the study or the fact that they would not get proper treatment. In 1972, the Tuskegee Syphilis Study Ad Hoc Advisory Panel concluded that the experiment was carried out despite known risks for its participants, so the study was proclaimed “ethically unjustified” (Barret, 2019, p. 13). Governmental officials that had started the project had long retired, so those who replaced them did not hesitate to terminate the study and prohibit such research going forward.
Modern-day Research Practices
Subsequently, some adjustments were made to the research and healthcare system. Following the hearings regarding the morality and ethics of the study, The National Research Act of 1974 established the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research. According to Yearby (2017), it was the Tuskegee Syphilis study that led to the appearance of three Bioethical Principles: Respect for Persons (informed consent), Beneficence, and Justice. These practices are used nowadays in accordance with the American Psychological Association standards that require, for example, all participants’ informed consent on each stage of research.
Conclusion
All in all, the Tuskegee Syphilis study lasted for forty years and affected hundreds of African Americans’ lives. Based on a racist concept, the experiment focused on observing the crippling effect of the disease, rather than effective treatment. In the 1970s, a thorough investigation brought to light the unethical study and helped its survivors find justice. It has inspired significant changes in the U.S. research policies that serve to ensure scientific progress without human sacrifices.
References
Barret, L. A. (2019). Tuskegee syphilis study of 1932–1973 and the rise of bioethics as shown through government documents and actions. DttP: Documents to the People, 47(4), 11–16. Web.
Howell, J. (2017). Race and U.S. medical experimentation: the case of Tuskegee. Cadernos de Saúde Pública, 33(1). Web.
Yearby, R. (2017). Exploitation in medical research: The enduring legacy of the tuskegee syphilis study. Case Western Reserve Law Review, 67, 1171–1226. Web.