U.S. apologizes for STD experiments in Guatemala
By Robert Bazell Chief science and health correspondent NBC News
U.S. government medical researchers intentionally infected hundreds of people in Guatemala, including institutionalized mental patients, with gonorrhea and syphilis without their knowledge or permission more than 60 years ago.
Many of those infected were encouraged to pass the infection onto others as part of the study.
About one third of those who were infected never got adequate treatment.
On Friday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius offered extensive apologies for actions taken by the U.S. Public Health Service.
"The sexually transmitted disease inoculation study conducted from 1946-1948 in Guatemala was clearly unethical," according to the joint statement from Clinton and Sebelius. "Although these events occurred more than 64 years ago, we are outraged that such reprehensible research could have occurred under the guise of public health. We deeply regret that it happened, and we apologize to all the individuals who were affected by such abhorrent research practices."
Full Article at msnbc
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Susan M. Reverby’s research on an immoral government medical study in Guatemala between 1946-48 where men and women were given syphilis has led to a U.S. government response from the Secretaries of the Departments of State and Health and Human Services. A copy of the synopsis and pre-copy edited version of her article,, “'Normal Exposure' and Inoculation Syphilis: A PHS 'Tuskegee' Doctor in Guatemala, 1946-48" in press with the Journal of Policy History, are available here.
Reverby, “’Normal Exposure,’” Synopsis.pdf
Reverby, “’Normal Exposure,’” Full pre copy-edited article.pdf
Full Article at wellesley.edu
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