top of page
black-innovators-in-stem-header_edited.jpg

The Tuskegee Syphilis Study 

The study involved 600 Black men, 399 of whom had syphilis and 201 who did not. The participants were misled and not given proper treatment, even when penicillin became the standard cure in 1947.

The Tuskegee Syphilis Study 

What: A study conducted by the U.S. Public Health Service to observe the natural progression of untreated syphilis in Black men. 

When: 1932-1972. 

Details: Although slightly outside the 1800s, the Tuskegee Syphilis Study began in 1932 and lasted until 1972. The study involved 600 Black men, 399 of whom had syphilis and 201 who did not. The participants were misled and not given proper treatment, even when penicillin became the standard cure in 1947. The men were left to suffer from severe health complications and even death. 

Why and How It Was Racist: The study was based on the racist assumption that Black people were inferior and could be used for experimentation without ethical considerations. This violation of medical ethics and human rights exemplifies systemic racism in medical research. 

Sources: 
Websites:

About the USPHS Syphilis Study. Tuskegee University. (n.d.). https://www.tuskegee.edu/about-us/centers-of-excellence/bioethics-center/about-the-usphs-syphilis-study
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, December 5). Public Health Service study of untreated syphilis at Tuskegee and Macon County, al - timeline - cdc - os. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/tuskegee/timeline.htm

Address

Johns Hopkins University
2800 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218

Email

Connect

  • Spotify
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
bottom of page