The Tuskegee syphilis study was a research project conduct by the American government to observe the natural growth of syphilis in African American men. The study went on for years, and had results, but it was done through trickery and deception. The government told their patients that they were there to cure “bad blood”, and often gave their patients a placebo to trick them to thinking that they were receiving medication. During the treatments, the government doctors just observed and took records of the growth of syphilis on their bodies. The doctors even went as far as spinal injections which is unnecessary and extremely painful. Later on, it was found that the spinal injections cause more harm to their bodies than syphilis!. Eventually the study was noticed and question and stopped.
Many years later, in 1997, President Bill Clinton acknowledge and made a formal apology to the remaining survivors of the Tuskegee syphilis study. Clinton was apologizing because he and the American people both knew that the government had violated the rights and trust of the African American men in the study. In Clinton's speech is he announced several steps to regain the trust that the government broke and so that a project like the Tuskegee study will never happen again. Clinton announced that he will first build a memorial at Tuskegee and the Department of Health and Human services will award grants to the school founded by Booker T. Second he will increase the community involvement to rebuild the trust that was lost. Third, he will commit to strengthen the researchers' training in bioethics. Fourth, Clinton will increase and broaden the understanding of ethical issues and clinical research and finally he will extend the charter of the National Bioethics Advisory Commission to October of 1999.
It seems that an apology to the Tuskegee survivors was needed, but why did the apology happen years after the study was closed? An apology should have been issued the day after the study was closed. Having a late apology can bring back memories long forgotten, but I guess giving an apology is better than not giving one in this situation. I think that building the memorial is a great idea. The memorial symbolizes that the government had made a mistake and is sorry for what it did and it will be there to remind future generations that studies done through trickery and deception is morally wrong and should never happen. Clinton gave an excellent speech, he was able to cover all the important points concerning the issue and made proper amends for the survivors and to make sure this type of study never happens again.
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Although the apology was late, it was necessary. It was necessary for those involved in the study to know what happened to them is not forgotten and that the government is sorry. It was also to signal a transition to the African American community that the government and medical institutions can be trusted once again. The memorial is a good idea because it reminds us of where we have been and the mistakes that we have made. The programs to strengthen research ethics are also extremely important because as technology advances so do the moral and ethical dilemmas that we face.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both Kin and ClutchCrede had to say. It was a late apology, but it was better than never. I feel that it's kind of inappropriate to bring up such terrible memories when the victims probably tried so hard to forget already after so many years. The 5 main points are also a very good point, to maybe ease the pain of the victims Clinton got to work and said the 5 things he was going to do to kind of repay the debt they owed the victims.
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