black and white photo of an old graveyard

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Tuskegee Syphilis Study

The Tuskegee Syphilis Study was started in 1932 at the Tuskegee Institute in Macon, Alabama. Sponsored by the U.S. Public Health Service, the subjects were mostly undereducated sharecroppers who were enticed to join the program by benefits like hot food and complimentary visits to a healthcare clinic. Out of around 600 participants, the control group of syphilis-free participants was only about one-third of the group.

a black and white photo of an old graveyard with the words "tuskegee syphilis study: Medical Racism in Alabama" above it.

What is Syphilis?

Syphilis is an infection commonly spread by sexual contact. It is caused by a bacteria and is responsive to common antibiotics like penicillins. Common first symptoms are a skin sore that might spread to a full-body rash, but if left untreated can settle into the internal organs and cause lasting damage.

What Happened in the Tuskegee Syphilis Study?

The study participants were never offered informed consent or even told the true purpose of the study, which was to watch the entire progression of the syphilis disease without intervention. The patients were subjected to multiple painful testing procedures, including spinal taps. In 1947 penicillin became recognized as an effective treatment for syphilis, but the study participants were not informed of this information or offered it for their disease. 

According to records, participants were discouraged from seeking other medical care. In the 1960s Public Health Services investigator Peter Buxton learned about the study and raised concerns, nothing was done, so he told a reporter. It took until July of 1972 for the Associated Press to break the story. By that time, according to early 1972 records, only seventy-four participants who were infected with the disease were still alive. A panel was developed to look into the ethics of the study, and in October of 1972 the panel announced their determination that the study is not ethical. After forty years of monitoring patients with untreated syphilis, the study was shut down. The CDC created services packages for survivors and their families, offering care and restitution for all people effected by the study. All participants and their partners have passed, around ten surviving children are still alive and receive services.

Ancestral Voices Rising Up: A Collage Series on the Tuskegee Syphilis Study by Ed D.M.S Anekwe

Examining Tuskegee: The Infamous Syphilis Study and its Legacy by Susan M. Reverby

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