Tuskegee Syphilis Study Essay

The Tuskegee Syphilis Study is Still Alive
Many young citizens are unaware of a horrific act that lasted 40 years. The Tuskegee Syphilis Study has impacted society along with individuals related to the study for over 85 years. It caused a severe breaking of medical ethics, impacted the personal health of African Americans and their families related to the study, and created a stigma among African American people regarding medical care.
A multitude of medical ethics were broken during the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, including lack of informed consent, withholding treatment, and deception. “The study was conducted without the benefit of patients’ informed consent” (CDC). “They were led to believe they were receiving free medical care, when its

But there was one group that was majorly impacted to their core: African-Americans. “Like me, several other black men that I interviewed… either inculcated from birth or from experience… the idea that the American health-care system is not for them” (Newkirk II). African-Americans in the South were particularly affected because that is where the study occurred. “The study ended decades ago, but (Lillie Tyson) Head said, ‘it still has an impact on how your feelings are and how your trust is toward (health) professionals,’ adding she sometimes feels apprehension about whether she is being told the truth” (Toy). The Tuskegee Syphilis Study caused a change in the thought processes and comfort of African Americans around their doctors. It caused them to become wary about everything they say; some African Americans were so stubborn and distrustful of medical professionals that they have yet to receive medical attention or advice since the news of the study was released in

“Scientists, can become blinded by our own ambitions to pursue an answer, complete an experiment and be tempted to ignore every ethical and moral principle in order to get that data point… the researcher does whatever mental exercise needed that would allow his human subjects to suffer from Syphilis complications despite the availability of an effective and affordable cure because that subject is no longer his own individual” (DNLee). When ambitiously searching for an answer, many may become ignorant to the effects their actions cause to others not directly involved with their research. In the case of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, this happens to be the families related to the victims of the study. The scientists and doctors in the study never intended for the significant others and children of participants to be harmed physically or