The Tuskegee Syphilis Study

The Tuskegee Syphilis Study originated in September 1932. Scientist and researchers traveled to Macon County to gather Blacks and underprivileged, indigent American citizens who were infected with latent syphilis to serve as participants, ‘guinea pigs’, for the study. They selected black men that were between the age 25-60 who were infected with syphilis. Many of the test subjects were easily persuaded due to the idea and the promise of a cure. ( Cite) From the study’s provenance, the scientist betrayed the trust and faith of the members of the experiment. After being tested for the disease, the members of the study weren’t given any specifics with regards to their health status. Instead, they were told that they had “bad blood”, but with

testing and continued participation in the study, they will not only continue to proceed with medical treatment, but that they also might find a cure.

The physicians conducted many autopsies on the subjects in the test group that had died would have died of advanced syphilitic lesions. ( Cite ) Further observation of surviving participants showed many complications that would most likely result in death from syphilis.

( Cite ) Even with these findings, the scientist did not supply the cure that they had constantly guaranteed to his patients. More so, over the four decades of the study, the USPHS actively sought to prevent the administration of a cure to the men from outside sources

(Cite). In the early 1940’s, the USPHS reached out to local doctors and notified them not to treat specific group of men if they sought for aid. Alternately, the physicians were advised to avert them and send them to USPHS.The Alabama Health Department was also made aware that they were not to deal with any participants when they brought a mobile clinic into Tuskegee, Alabama.