The “Bad Blood” case study depicts the story of the unethical Tuskegee Syphilis Study that began in 1932 and lasted for 40 years. Study participants included 399 African American syphilis-positive men and 201 men without syphilis who were included unintentionally as control subjects. This study was designed to examine the natural progression and cure of syphilis, but it did not intend to do so even when a treatment had been discovered. They were never informed of the true nature of this study and they weren’t given any treatment. This led to grave health effects, including death.
It is likely that the participants took part in this study because they trusted the doctors who promised them free medical care and treatment for their “bad blood,” a term that was commonly used to describe a wide range of ailments. They may have participated in the study due to the limited healthcare resources and lack of accessibility in their locality. Some participants may also have been forced or coerced into taking part, because it was thought that they were unaware of the nature and risks associated with this study.
This research violated several ethical standards, including beneficence, justice, and non-maleficence. They were not told the details of the study or given an opportunity to consent. They were denied treatment and not told about the available cure for syphilis at that time. In addition, the study caused serious harm to participants by violating beneficence and nonmaleficence principles. The study was also unjust, because the majority of participants were African Americans and poor, but they did not receive the same level of care that white participants received.
Today, an experiment like this could not be performed due to significant changes to research ethics. Also, laws and regulations are in place to protect research subjects. Researchers are now required to adhere strictly to guidelines, obtain consent from the subjects, make sure that the benefits outweigh any risks and maintain the confidentiality and privacy of participants. In addition, an Institutional Review Board is responsible for reviewing and approving research projects involving humans and ensuring that they comply with law and are ethically conducted.
In conclusion, the Tuskegee Syphilis Study was a horrific example of unethical research that violated the basic principles of human subjects’ protection. This study exploited vulnerable populations, and the harm caused to participants was significant. Human subjects are protected today by laws, regulations and ethical guidelines. They ensure that all research is conducted with high standards and adheres to ethical principles.
References:
American Psychological Association (2017). Ethical Principles of Psychologists & Code of Conduct https://www.apa.org/ethics/code/
Jones, J. H. (1993). Tuskegee’s syphilis experiments: A bad blood. Free Press.
National Institutes of Health (2020). What is the Institutional Review Board? https://www.nia.nih.gov/research/dgcg/obrs/what-institutional-review-board-irb.
Order an Essay Now & Get These Homework Help Features For Free:
Turnitin Report
Formatting
Title Page
Citation
Outline
