SIS3001 Semester 1 2022/2023

Short Assignment 2 – Individual – 5 marks

Group 3: The Tuskegee Syphilis Study

1. Briefly explain the case i.e what is it all about, who was involved, and when and
where it happened.

The Tuskegee Study is a medical research experiment that began in 1932 to observe the
symptoms of Syphilis. This experiment was tested on hundreds of Black men in Macon
County, Alabama with low incomes where they were used as human test subjects without
the right informed consent. Instead of telling the subject the right information about Syphilis,
the researchers of the experiment told them that they were just treated for “bad blood” which
is a term that is used by their circle for a variety of health issues including fatigue and
anaemia. The men are not being told that this experiment will putting their life in risk if they
were not receiving the right treatment and that they were spreading it to their sexual
partners. The subjects were also persuaded to participate in the study with the promise of
free meals, transportation, burial insurance and medical exam. Even though in 1974, there is
treatment available for syphilis, which is Penicillin, but it was not being offered to the
subjects and they were just treated with arsenic and mercury, some infected men were not
given any treatment for syphilis at all.

This unethical experiment was discovered when there was a whistleblower named Peter
Buxtun, a PHS investigator, who leaked the story to a reporter. The story about this was then
being exposed to the public where it made the public outraged and forced them to shut down
and stop the study. However, by the time the study was over, there were 100 more men who
had passed away from related complications, 28 participants had died from syphilis, at least
40 spouses had been diagnosed with it and the disease had been passed to 19 children at
birth.

2. Explain two ethical principles that were not observed in the case

- Beneficence
It is the duty for the researcher to do the best for the participants and provide the best
treatment to treat the participants. However, in this case, the researchers do not provide the
right treatment even though there is cure for syphilis and some of the participants are not
even given any treatment at all.

- Autonomy
The men that participated in the study are from a rural area with a low income where they do
not have the right education level to know about the medical issue. Most of them have never
seen a doctor before, which makes them not in the right condition to participate in the study
since they do not understand what it is for and can not make the right decision for their life.

3. State two lessons that can be learned from the case

- One of the lessons learned from the case is that we should not blindly believe
 - others. We should understand and check the liability first before making any decision
especially regarding medical.

- The other lesson learned is that we should have a strong ethic in telling the truth like
Buxtun. In the Tuskegee study case, there are a lot of people who should have blown
the whistle earlier but they choose not to. This case was ongoing for around 40
years, it was being published in papers, journals, and being presented on at the
conference but no one was trying to tell people how unethical it is. If this case was
known earlier, the mens might be saved.

References

Attia, A. (2021, November 12). What is the Tuskegee Study? Planned Parenthood. Retrieved
December 15, 2022, from
https://www.plannedparenthood.org/blog/what-is-the-tuskegee-study

Nix, E. (2017, May 16). Tuskegee Experiment: The infamous syphilis study. History.com.
Retrieved December 15, 2022, from
https://www.history.com/news/the-infamous-40-year-tuskegee-study

Tikkanen, A. (2000, November 22). Tuskegee Syphilis Study. Encyclopædia Britannica.

Retrieved December 15, 2022, from
https://www.britannica.com/event/Tuskegee-syphilis-study