The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment

Personal Statement:

The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment is a classic example of racism in American life that overflowed into the American medicine. Forty years of conducting a study of the effects of syphilis on black men in Macon County, Alabama, was a story that gained public attention in 1972. It was not a secretive study unlike the Human Radiation Experiments but equally immoral. The findings of the Tuskegee study were published in famous medical journals and openly discussed in conferences. To the surprise no one in the scientific community questioned the methodology undertaken in this study. The study has raised a host of ethical issues and has very important lessons to learn for the scientist in this generation. 

It can be justly critiqued by breaking it into two eras: pre and post penicillin. In 1946 penicillin was discovered as a wonder drug that had a cure for syphilis. Within months it was in mass production throughout America.

Pre-penicillin period is from 1932 to about late 1940’s. The study started in 1932 as a cooperative project having PHS, department of Public Health Services, as a primary investigator. They targeted poor neighborhood of Alabama where people were socially and medically disadvantaged. The seemly “government doctors” enticed the ignorant black people by offering free physical examination. Like wolves in sheep’s clothing these doctors used 399 (and more) people without their consent in a deadly serious experiment. The syphilitic patients who were considered as subjects in the experiment and were denied treatment. The Scientists in favor of the study during this period contend that the contemporary treatments had more potential harm for the patients than potential benefits. This argument does not discredit the immorality committed by withholding the best available treatment for a particularly cruel disease. Even today patients suffering from cancer are treated with chemo-therapy which has equally toxic effects on the patient’s body. 

Post-penicillin period is from late 1940’s to 1972. Everyone knew the efficacy of penicillin but still the doctors kept the “subjects” from getting the treatment. The denial of penicillin treatment was the most critical moral issue about this experiment. It compounded on the previous immorality committed in the pre-penicillin period.

Conclusion:

The moral astigmatism of the study was fueled by racism, social class hierarchy, scientific and bureaucratic inertia. The ultimate lesson to learn is “moral judgment should be a part of any human endeavor” and scientific investigators are no exception.

'Relish life with the spouse you love, each and every day.' Ecclesiastes 9:9

Excerpts from UCB's Word for Today.

Rule 1:

We all recognize that if we want to become healthier, fitter or stronger in the future, we have to put the hard graft in now.

We have to be disciplined and train hard, follow an eating plan and a training programme, and get the support and encouragement we need if we're going to achieve those kinds of things. However much we might wish it, we won't just wake up one morning and find we've lost two stone after following a diet of junk food.

So why is it that when it comes to relationships, we think we can do what we want? The world tells us we can snog as many potential suitors as we like, sleep with anyone with a pulse - male or female. 'You don't have to be faithful, not while you're young.' 'Experiment - it won't harm you.' You think?

If we don't practice being a loyal, faithful, loving partner now, we won't suddenly turn into one the day we decide to walk down the aisle. Start practicing today who you want to be in the future so when the time comes you will be able to 'Relish life with the spouse you love, each and every day.'

Rule 2:

OK, so you may not be married quite yet - may not even be thinking about it - but one day you might. But before we get there, God can still teach us something for today from this verse: 'Relish life with the spouse you love, each and every day'. Wow, get that! God doesn't just want us to enjoy good relationships, He wants us to have relationships we can relish - where we're totally loving every minute. God really does want you to have great friends, build great relationships, the kind that make you smile and make your life easier to handle!
So if your life is a little low on the friendship front today, pray. Ask God for some great relationships, knowing that's exactly what He wants for you too. Ask Him for help in finding the right friends and choosing the ones that will build you up, not drag you down. God promises, 'I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you' (Ps. 32:8 NLT).

And while you're at it, if you're hoping one day to be married, why not start praying now for the your future husband or wife. Talk to God about it, knowing He cares about this too. Ask Him to help you now to grow into the best wife or husband you can be so you will be ready to 'Relish life with the spouse you love, each and every day'.

Rule 3:

After God put the first man, Adam, in the Garden of Eden, He said; 'It's not good for the Man to be alone; I'll make him a helper, a companion' (Gen. 2:18 TM). God chose to give Adam someone who would be compatible with his needs - we know her as Eve. This was a brilliant relationship - the way God intended them to be. They got on great with God, they walked with Him and chatted to Him every day; they had a great place to live, things to do and enjoy, scrumptious food; and they loved each other. There was no arguing - it was mint! But things went horribly wrong after they disobeyed God. Instead of doing what God said, 'You can eat from any tree in the garden, except from the Tree-of-Knowledge-of-Good-and-Evil. Don't eat from it' (Gen. 2:16), they chose to believe the snake "You won't die ... You'll be just like God, (Gen. 3:4) As a result of leaving God out of their relationship - everything went to pot. 'So GOD expelled them from the Garden of Eden and sent them to work the ground' (Gen. 3:23).

The same is true for us today. When we leave God out of our relationships, they become difficult and confusing and we end up hurting each other. Don't make the same mistakes as Adam and Eve; remember God wants you to include Him in everything.

Rule 4:

Now if you're single and not wanting to be, talking about relationships and marriage can totally 'do your head in'. It's easy to run out of patience, thinking God doesn't understand, that He's ignoring you or not giving you who you need. If we've been asking for His help and nothing's happened, it can leave us feeling unfairly treated and we can stop trusting God, thinking He doesn't care about us. The thing is, when we try to get ahead of God we end up with regrets - we make mistakes that can be devastating, heartbreaking.

Before you were born, God knew you: 'You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!' (Psalm 139: 13-14 NLT). God gave you certain traits and abilities that make you unique. He knows exactly who you would need to help fulfil His purposes and develop the gifts He's given you. Until that happens, remember: He is your spiritual partner! He's been caring for you all along: protecting you, providing for you and directing your steps. He's not going to stop now.

Stop wrestling with your singleness and use this time to develop your relationship with God. Ruth in the Bible kept on trusting in God, no matter how difficult life got. There's a whole book named after her, so read her story - be encouraged discovering how God brought a husband to her in the most extraordinary and seemingly impossible of circumstances.