Henrietta Lacks Research Paper

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Recommended: Critical issues present in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks


In the book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, Henrietta was a poor, black, woman. Her cells were taken from her without her consent, but became one of the most important tools in medicine. Her cells assisted with gene mapping, cloning, developing the polio vaccine and much more.
While reading this book, I was surprised how easily the doctors took Henrietta's cells without her permission and used them for the things they did. Also, I was surprised with the amount of time it took for Henrietta’s family to find out about the HeLa cells.
This book definitely changed my perception on becoming a care provider. As I care provider I will get consent from every patient before doing anything.

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