Henrietta Lacks Ethics

Many debates arise upon the decision of if/when a physician should provide informed consent. Some argue that constant informed consent can become a “burden,” but how does a patient getting operated on verify that when there is a mishap in the procedure, the physician holds responsibility, when the patient lacks knowledge of the original procedure? They can't. The Immortal Life of a Henrietta Lacks can prove the inequality that resulted from lack of informed consent. Physicians robbed Henrietta Lacks of her own cells without her knowledge, which later lead to the making of millions of dollars, while her family upheld complete unawareness of the situation. Ideally, physicians and researchers would obtain informed consent, allowing Henrietta and

The idea of informed consent “originates from the legal and ethical right the patient has,” involving morals, ethics, and knowledge to compose an informed decision on what will happen to the patient’s body (Bord). Henrietta Lacks experienced multiple miscommunications relating to her cancer and the operations performed on her body. For instance, Henrietta believed that she would have another child following the completion of treatment. She asked her doctor about an appropriate time to have another child and “until that moment, Henrietta didn’t know that the treatments had left her infertile.” (Lacks 47) Henrietta’s doctors had failed to notify her that she would no longer possess the ability to conceive children, leaving Henrietta with regret that she did not sustain any knowledge on the procedures operated on her. Informed consent has a purpose to “provide sufficient information to a potential participant” so that the potential participant can assemble a decision regarding whether or not they want to undergo the procedure (Nijhawan et al 134). Lack of informed consent/communication can lead to a patient wrongfully establishing a decision that goes against their morals. Therefore, informed consent includes a sufficient way of providing a potential patient with knowledgeable information

For example, a patient’s cells put to research without the patient’s knowledge increases the probability of the leaking of private information and exposure. Henrietta Lacks experienced a similar issue. Henrietta did not receive informed consent, which lead to the use of her cells for research in multiple laboratories without her knowledge. Private organizations used her cells to make millions of dollars; meanwhile, her family suffers from poverty. The notion of unjust services provided by physicians arise from the fact that “tissues from millions of Americans are used in research without their knowledge,” which completely invades the patient’s privacy and personal rights (Skloot). When a physician does not obey to the patient’s disapproval of the performance of a procedure, the physician “may be subject to medical malpractice litigation, removal from preferred-provider lists, or the loss of hospital privileges,” to ensure the patient’s protection (Murray). Providing the patient with liable information regarding the procedure keeps both the physician and the patient