
What: J. Marion Sims conducted surgical experiments on enslaved Black women without anesthesia.
When: 1840s
Where: Alabama, USA.
Details: Sims performed experimental surgeries on enslaved women to develop
techniques for repairing vesicovaginal fistulas. These procedures were extremely
painful and were done without anesthesia, based on the belief that Black women
felt less pain than white women.
Why and How It Was Racist: Sims' experiments exploited enslaved women and
were conducted under the racist belief that Black individuals had higher pain tolerance. The perceived inferiority of Black people justified these unethical practices.
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WallL.L.(2006).The medical ethics of Dr J MarionSims: a fresh look at the
historical record. Journal of Medical Ethics, 32(6), 346–350. https://doi.org/10.1136/jme.2005.012559
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