WHATWHAT HAPPENSHAPPENS

WHENWHEN SCIENCESCIENCE

GO’SGO’SBAD

?BAD

?

SYPHILISSYPHILIS

THE GREAT DECEIVER!THE GREAT DECEIVER! SYMPTOMS MIMIC OTHER SYMPTOMS MIMIC OTHER

DISEASESDISEASES SEXUALLY TRANSMITTEDSEXUALLY TRANSMITTED ARRIVED IN EUROPE IN LATE ARRIVED IN EUROPE IN LATE

1400’s1400’s WAS IT THE ONLY DISEASE WAS IT THE ONLY DISEASE

BROUGHT BACK FROM THE NEW BROUGHT BACK FROM THE NEW WORLD???WORLD???

SYPHILISSYPHILIS - - ETIOLOGYETIOLOGYTRANSMITTED WHEN INFECTED TRANSMITTED WHEN INFECTED MUCOUS MEMBRANE CONTACTS MUCOUS MEMBRANE CONTACTS ANOTHER MUCOUS MEMBRANEANOTHER MUCOUS MEMBRANE

Caused By: Treponema pallidum

T. pallidum is a

Bacteria

A Special Type of Bacteria Called a

Spirochete

SYPHILISSYPHILIS - - MortalityMortality

Originally Killed Very QuicklyOriginally Killed Very QuicklyDays to WeeksDays to Weeks

Now Untreated Death Takes Now Untreated Death Takes YearsYearsNatural Selection for ImmunityNatural Selection for Immunity

SYPHILISSYPHILIS - - MorbidityMorbidity

Three PhasesThree Phases When UntreatedWhen Untreated::

TertiaryTertiaryattacks organs, attacks organs,

especially especially nerves/brainnerves/brain

Secondary

Secondary

systemic spread

systemic spread

followed by

followed by

disappearance

disappearance

Primary

Primary

lesions a

t

lesions a

t

point of

point of

infection

infection

SYPHILISSYPHILIS - - MorbidityMorbidity

TreatedTreated

PenicillinPenicillinVERY EffectiveVERY Effective

Single DoseSingle DoseAvailable Since 1940’sAvailable Since 1940’s

Complete RecoveryComplete Recovery

NOW, What AboutNOW, What About

BAD

SCIEN

C

E

1930’s Bad Time for 1930’s Bad Time for ScienceScience

Science/GeneticsScience/Genetics

Use As An Excuse ForUse As An Excuse For

Eugenics MovementEugenics MovementWhich Led ToWhich Led To

HolocaustHolocaustandand

TUSKEGEE SYPHILIS STUDY

X

TUSKEGEE SYPHILIS STUDY

Who:Who: U.S. Public Health ServiceU.S. Public Health Service

When:When: 1932 – 19721932 – 1972

Where:Where: AlabamaAlabama

To Whom:To Whom: 399 Illiterate Black 399 Illiterate Black SharecroppersSharecroppers

What:What:Human ExperimentationHuman Experimentation

Intentionally Lied To SubjectsIntentionally Lied To Subjects

Did Not Treat A Deadly DiseaseDid Not Treat A Deadly Disease

TUSKEGEE SYPHILIS STUDY

What They Were Told:What They Were Told: They had “Bad Blood”They had “Bad Blood” They would receive Free They would receive Free

HealthcareHealthcare

Courtesy of National Archives

TUSKEGEE SYPHILIS STUDY

What They Were What They Were NOTNOT Told: Told: They had SyphilisThey had Syphilis They would They would NOTNOT be treated be treated They signed papers authorizing They signed papers authorizing

their own autopsy upon death.their own autopsy upon death. They could infect their families.They could infect their families.

Courtesy of CDCTreponema pallidum – silver stain

TUSKEGEE SYPHILIS STUDY

What Was The Purpose:What Was The Purpose: To Discover How Syphilis To Discover How Syphilis

Affected Blacks as Opposed to Affected Blacks as Opposed to Whites.Whites.

No Whites Were Studied.No Whites Were Studied.

Courtesy of CDC

TUSKEGEE SYPHILIS STUDY

Who Was Hurt:Who Was Hurt: 28 Men Died Directly of Syphilis.28 Men Died Directly of Syphilis. 100 Died of Syphilitic 100 Died of Syphilitic

Complications.Complications. 40 of Their Wives Became 40 of Their Wives Became

Infected.Infected. 19 of Their Children Were Born 19 of Their Children Were Born

With Congenital SyphilisWith Congenital Syphilis Damage is PermanentDamage is Permanent

Courtesy of CDC

This Study Was This Study Was WrongWrong:: Medical Treatment That Would Medical Treatment That Would

Have Cured These Men and Their Have Cured These Men and Their Families Was Intentionally Families Was Intentionally Withheld.Withheld.

Full Discloser was NEVER Full Discloser was NEVER Provided.Provided.

There Was There Was NONO Real Medical Value Real Medical Value To The Study.To The Study.

TUSKEGEE SYPHILIS STUDY

This Certificate Was Provided By The USPHS to the Victims of the Study.

Courtesy of CDC

The ApologyThe Apology

President Clinton’s Apology To 8 President Clinton’s Apology To 8 SurvivorsSurvivors

May 16, 1997May 16, 1997

The United States government did The United States government did something that was wrong- deeply, something that was wrong- deeply,

profoundly, morally wrong. It was an profoundly, morally wrong. It was an outrage to our commitment to outrage to our commitment to

integrity and equality for all our integrity and equality for all our citizens… and was clearly racist.citizens… and was clearly racist.

References:References:

National Archives, Southeast Region: National Archives, Southeast Region: http://www.archives.gov/southeast/exhibit/6.phphttp://www.archives.gov/southeast/exhibit/6.php

Center for Disease Control: Center for Disease Control: http://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/od/tuskegee/index.hthttp://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/od/tuskegee/index.htmlml

National Public Radio: National Public Radio: http://www.npr.org/http://www.npr.org/

American Medical Association, Medical Ethics: American Medical Association, Medical Ethics: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/2512http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/2512.html.html