TUSKEGEE SYPHILIS STUDY

Tuskegee Syphilis Study: Applying four ethical principles

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http://www.med.uottawa.ca/sim/data/Ethics_e.htm

The role of ethics in medical research is to promote the aims of the research like promoting the moral and social values, showing compassion, promoting a high degree of competence, showing autonomy. It was identified to be the most worsen clinical study which was termed to have racism and unethical medical experimentation (Gray, 2013). It involved about 400 impoverished and quite poor educated African-American men diagnosed with the latent syphilis. It targeted the large number of Negros who had infection but had not yet showed any symptoms. Certainly, the purpose study was to investigate whether the Syphilis disease affected the Black men differently from the White men hence they were diagnosed without their knowledge.

The Tuskegee Syphilis Study involved highly unethical perspective including, there was no informed consent, participants were never informed about the danger involved in the study, participants had to agree autopsy after their death so as to have their funeral costs covered, the scientists denied the treatment to some patients due to individual dangers and the fatal progression of the disease observation (Lewis, 2008). The other ethical points addresses that the designers used a misleading advertisement and also the participants were not given cure even when the Syphilis had been known and also easily available.

The four ethical principles which may be applied to the Tuskegee Syphilis Study include respect for the autonomy, the beneficence, the non-maleficence and the justice. The fundamental ethical principle known as autonomy entail the respect for the patients (Judson, 2013). This is because the autonomy is defined as the capacity to think, decide and also to act on one’s free initiatives. This explores the physicians as well as the family members have to assist the patients in decision making by providing the full information for the patients. They have a duty to uphold the medical competent and promote patient’s decision especially adults even if it appears to be medically wrong.

The beneficence as a medical ethic has to be applied in this case through promoting what is exactly best from the patient. This is because the moral principle of performing what is right for others is by focusing on the lens of professional caring relationship (Gray, 2013). The beneficence implies the consideration of patient’s pain. The other consideration tackles the risk of either disability or even death together with the quality of life. Therefore, the beneficence is able to imply not intervening; the Tuskegee Syphilis Study would have met this ethic if there was a minimal benefit of the therapy.

The other ethic principle is non-maleficence. This ethic poses that, there have to be no harm done. Probably, when treating sick patients this principle adds little beneficence principle. Even though most of the treatments involves some aspects of degree of risk or even dangerous side effects this principle tends to remind individuals about the easy way of doing harm especially when an illness cannot be cured (Judson, 2013). The justice as an ethical principle poses about the resource limit. This means that the Tuskegee Syphilis Study could have met this principle through administering cure for everybody and with the same priorities. This principle explores that the patients have to enter a similar medication and have undergo same care but the Tuskegee Syphilis Study did not meet this principle. This is because if the resources would be allocated to one group there have to be an impact on the other.

The legal lessons indicated that there have to be an adequate healthcare available for all Americans because some of the groups were at risk during the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. This is because the most legacy of Tuskegee Syphilis Study involved repercussions preferably in American communities (Lewis, 2008). The other legal lesson learnt is that there was men were vulnerable because of the legacy of oppression and slavery. The participants were never told the truth or the nature of the study instead they were forced to participate.

One of the ethical lessons learnt from this study is about the human research subject whereby it is advisable for the patients to be informed so as to identify all aspects and have potential influences towards their decision (Gray, 2013). The symbol of racism and the medical malfeasance and also records where not kept accurately.

References

Gray, F. D., & Tuskegee Institute. (2013). The Tuskegee Syphilis Study: The real story and beyond.

Lewis, M. A., Tamparo, C. D., & Lewis, M. A. (2008). Medical law, ethics, & bioethics for the health professions. Princeton, N.J: Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic.

Judson, K., Harrison, C., & Judson, K. (2013). Law & ethics for the health professions. New York: McGraw-Hill.