Medical Ethics and the Tuskegee Syphilis Study

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses ethics and morality with regards to human research. It specifically looks at the need for clear ethical guidelines regarding disclosure and respect towards human research subjects. The paper discusses and analyzes the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, which used human subjects without disclosing to them either information regarding the study or their status as infected with the disease.

From the Paper:

"Medical institution management and ethics committees should collaborate to apply an ethical policy to every case where experimentation on human beings is an issue. It should also be ensured that all other avenues of research have been exhausted, including research documents and laboratory work involving animals - also according to the applicable set of ethical guidelines. In the democratic and free world we like to believe that we live in today, surely the guidelines for the ethical treatment of all living things should be clearer than ever before. Surely medical practitioners can appreciate the necessity of respect for individuals and their rights."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Hilts, Philip J. (2000, Aug 17). Medical-Research Official Cites Ethics Woes. New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9405E3D7173EF934A2575BC0A9669C8B63&n=Top/News/Science/Topics/Research
• Tuskegee University (2007). Research Ethics: The Tuskegee Syphilis Study. http://www.tuskegee.edu/Global/Story.asp?s=1207598
• The World Medical Association (2004, Oct 9). Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects. http://www.wma.net/e/policy/b3.htm

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