Read about research ethics in chapter 2 (pages 40-49) to discuss the question below.

Between 1932 and 1979, the US Public Health Services performed a study of the effects of syphilis on humans.

Participants were all African-American males (400 with syphilis and 200 without). Some participants were told they were getting free healthcare. But the researchers did not treat the disease, just observed the path of untreated syphilis. By 1936, it was clear that syphilis caused serious health complications, and by 1946 researchers knew it could cause death. Penicillin became available in 1940 and could cure the disease. However, the study did not make participants aware of these facts. They also did not administer Penicillin or treat participants. There were many instances where participants with syphilis ended up passing syphilis on to family members.

The study continued until 1972. The event that spurred the end of the experiments was a national media story about experiments, which lead to public outrage.

*Mention and explain some of the research ethics that were violated in the aforementioned study.

They failed to tell the participants of the study the details and the full information on what the study was about.
They endangered the lives of the research participants.
The researchers used deceit on the study participants.

What is a research?

This is the term that has to do with the fact that a study is being undergone in order to get the cause and the effects of situations that may exist in the given environment. The goal is to be able to get the way of taking care of the situation.

What are research ethics?

This is the term that has to do with the guidelines that one would have to follow when they are engaging in a research work. The goal is to be able to follow all of the rules that the professional bodies have established when it comes to carrying out research. Especially when it has to do with the use of human subjects.