Tuskegee Syphilis Study
Introduction
The Tuskegee Syphilis Study was a clinical study conducted between 1932 and 1972 by the United States Public Health Service. The purpose of this study was to observe the natural progression of untreated syphilis in rural African-American men in Alabama under the guise of receiving free health care from the U.S. government.
Background
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. The disease has been known since the 15th century and has caused serious public health problems around the world. The Tuskegee Syphilis Study was initiated because of the wide prevalence of the disease and the lack of effective treatments.
Study Design
The study involved 600 African-American men, 399 with syphilis and 201 who did not have the disease. The study was conducted without the benefit of patients' informed consent. Researchers told the men they were being treated for "bad blood", a local term used to describe several ailments, including syphilis, anemia, and fatigue.
Ethical Issues
The Tuskegee Syphilis Study is often cited as one of the most infamous examples of unethical human research. The men were never given adequate treatment for their disease. Even when penicillin became the drug of choice for syphilis in 1947, researchers did not offer it to the subjects.
Impact and Legacy
The revelation of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study in 1972 led to changes in U.S. law and regulation on the protection of participants in clinical studies. The study also had a profound impact on the African-American community's trust in public health efforts in the United States.