Tuskegee Syphilis Study Essay

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(1) The Tuskegee Syphilis study was a 40 year long experiment held by the U.S Public Health Service from years 1932-1972. The study put at risk the lives of many innocent black males, the study was for the disease Syphilis, Syphilis is an STD which is easily spread through unsafe sexual contact with a partner. “In the male negro”, The study had 600 illiterate black males 399 of those patients were not actually infected with the disease. Illiterate and uneducated males were used because of their lack of concern to their health, or rather not being concerned with what doctors said, for they were the ones who “knew all”. They trusted the doctors because they were the ones who were educated and supposedly knew more than the patients. The researchers withheld information that could’ve saved the test subjects from the disease and long …show more content…

Posters were put up around the town stating that men must be tested for “Bad Blood” and that, “You May feel well and still have bad blood.” Other signs advertising free gifts and services to those who signed up for the tests. However (2) the signs did not state that the men were being tested for Syphilis rather being tested for “Bad blood”. Which at the time was the go to reason for needing a screening or testing, when the doctors knew that there wouldn’t be any questioning, they saw bad blood to avoid the fact in general and any further suspicion. Most if not all of the participants were uneducated illiterate black males, whom they thought were being tested for “Bad Blood” not Syphilis. Though the term “Bad Blood” had multiple meanings, from stomach pains to the symptoms of syphilis. Once the experiments began, they were redundantly told to return for checkups and screenings. But never specifically told what exactly for when they kept coming back, never asking questions or questioning the doctors rule. Later frowned upon on the non-usage of informed

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