This paper is aimed at discussing the Tuskegee Syphilis experiment which highlighted the importance of ethical norms that researchers should comply with. It should be mentioned that this study was supposed to examine the progress of this disease and possible complications. The main problem is that the patients were not informed about the best treatment which was available at that time; in particular, one should speak about penicillin which was accepted as the effective cure for this venereal disease. It is important to discuss how this case shaped the later work of scientists.
It is rather difficult to discuss the benefits of the Tuskegee Syphilis experiment. This study was supposed to provide information about the development of this disease. Additionally, the researchers relied on the premise that syphilis could affect white and black people in different ways. Nevertheless, it later became obvious that this study had not yielded any valuable results that could be useful for the prevention and treatment of syphilis. In turn, among the negative effects of this research one can distinguish the deaths of many people who did not receive the best available treatment as quickly as possible. Furthermore, many people were infected. This case shows how racism could influence the work of scientists.
It is possible to consider the three fundamental principles of medical research and apply them to this particular study. For instance, one should speak about respect for the participants. This principle implies that scientists need to consider the viewpoints and interests of people who agreed to take part in a certain experiment. Overall, this experiment highlighted the importance of informed consent as one of the prerequisites for studies involving human subjects. In particular, researchers are required to tell the participants about the risks to which they can be exposed. Moreover, they need to inform people about the true objectives of their study. This principle was blatantly violated by people who carried out the Tuskegee experiments. The patients did not know that scientists simply tried to describe the natural progress of syphilis.
Apart from that, one should focus on a principle as justice, according to which the costs and benefits of a study must be distributed fairly. The main problem is that African-American patients were viewed as mere tools that could be used to gain valuable scientific information. Nevertheless, the risks faced by the participants were of little concern to the researchers. At present, such behavior appears to be outrageous, but at that time, this treatment of African-American people was rather widespread.
Additionally, it is vital to mention beneficence which means that scientists should maximize the benefits of the participants and shield them from the threats to which they can be exposed. In turn, medical workers did not give penicillin which was the best available treatment at that moment. Additionally, they did not consider the risks of these people as well as their relatives. This is one of the main pitfalls that should be avoided.
On the whole, this discussion shows that the Tuskegee experiment underlined the importance of ethical norms that one should follow during studies involving human subjects. Virtually every possible rule, which is taken for granted nowadays, was violated by people who implemented this study. Overall, this notorious case highlighted the importance of evaluating medical research from an ethical viewpoint.