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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.


center/about-the-usphs-syphilis-study

1 Comment


Devin White
Devin White
Jan 27

Despicable.

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