TUSKEGEE SYPHILIS STUDY
...The rural setting of Tuskegee - a deprived socioeconomic status,high rates of illiteracy and especially a paucity of medical care - were exploited by the investigators of the syphilis study who led the poor sharecroppers to believe they were being treated for "bad blood," a euphemism for syphilis. The study, which lasted for 40 years included only sporadic clinical reexaminations when a Public Health physician came to Tuskegee and denied the individuals any form of anti-syphilitic therapy. In fact, in 1942 when it was brought to the attention of the then Assistant Surgeon General, Vonderlehr that some of the syphilitic subjects were being called for examination prior to induction into the Armed Forces and were being directed to undergo treatment systematic steps were taken to preserve the investigation. To prevent the draftees from receiving anti-syphilitic treatment, the investigators provided the Macon County Selective Service Board with a list of 256 names of men under the age of 45 years who were to be excluded from the list of draftees needing treatment. The Board agreed to exclude these men. Furthermore, when the modern-era of anti-syphilitc therapy began in 1943 with the introduction of penicillin as an effective drug, the Public Health Service did not use the drug on the Tuskegee participants unless they asked for it. The rationale published by the investigators for their decision regarding the lack of treatment provided to the infected "Negro" population was,
"...Such individuals seemed to offer an unusual opportunity to study the untreated syphilitic patients from the beginning of the disease to the death of the infected person. An opportunity was also offered to compare the syphilitc process uninfluenced by modern treatment, with the results attained when treatment had been given."(6)
By the time the study was exposed in 1972, and ended on November 16th of the same year, 28 men had died of syphilis, 100 others were dead due to syphilis related complications, at least 40 wives had been infected and 19 children had contracted the disease at birth. [continued]
