Tuskegee Syphilis Study Essay

Tuskegee Syphilis Study Something very disturbing was happening to African American men in Macon County, Alabama between the years of 1932 and 1972. During this time hundreds of black men were chosen to participate in a scientific study. This study would later become known as the “Tuskegee Syphilis Study”. A study in which those black men who were selected would be infected with syphilis, to see the effects would be on them compared to white males. This study is also one of the most controversial and disgraceful scientific studies to ever take place in the United States (LeFlouria 1066-1067). Syphilis is a highly contagious sexually transmitted disease. It consists of four stages, and if left untreated can ultimately lead to death. It can also be transmitted through kissing and close body contact. The first stage names primary syphilis leaves sores in the infected areas, whether they are on the genitals or around the mouth. The second stage named secondary syphilis leaves a sore rash that is spread throughout the body from head to toe, and it can even make its way inside the mouth. The third stage called latent syphilis this stage is non-infectious and lays dormant for up to 30 years. The fourth and
It was labeled so because it was very common in black people to have syphilis because they were very sexually active. In 1932, the study officially began when 399 black men were chosen to be infected with syphilis and another 201 black men would serve as “control” patients who weren't infected. They were told was they would receive free medical exams, free treatment and compensation for burial services. They were never told why they were really there, and during that time period African American men and women weren't very well educated.. This made the men optimal test subjects, if the doctors wrote down exactly what they were planning on doing to these men, they wouldn't really understand