Nicholson 1
Akeelah Nicholson
Mrs. Madej
Health Science: Period 8
12 April 2024
Tuskegee Experiment
In 1932, the USPHS, U.S. Public Health Service, works with Tuskegee Institute in
Macon, began a study to record the natural history of syphilis. The study first involved six
hundred black men, 399 with syphilis, and 201 without syphilis. The participants were nearly all
sharecroppers, and many had never visited a doctor. The participants’ informed consent was not
collected. The participants were not told they had syphilis or that the disease could be transmitted
through sexual intercourse. Instead, research told the men they were being treated for “bad
blood.” “Bad blood” was a local term used to describe several ailments, including syphilis,
anemia, and fatigue. The men received free medical exams, free meals, and burial insurance, in
exchange for taking part in the study.
By 1943, penicillin was the treatment of choice for syphilis and became widely available,
but the participants in the study were not offered treatment and were still being withheld from
them 25 years later. This issue was a direct violation of government legislation that mandated the
treatment of venereal disease. The men were monitored by health workers but only given
placebos such as aspirin and mineral supplements. Some participants were given arsenic,
bismuth, and mercury. PHS researchers convinced local physicians in Macon County not to treat
Akeelah Nicholson
Mrs. Madej
Health Science: Period 8
12 April 2024
Tuskegee Experiment
In 1932, the USPHS, U.S. Public Health Service, works with Tuskegee Institute in
Macon, began a study to record the natural history of syphilis. The study first involved six
hundred black men, 399 with syphilis, and 201 without syphilis. The participants were nearly all
sharecroppers, and many had never visited a doctor. The participants’ informed consent was not
collected. The participants were not told they had syphilis or that the disease could be transmitted
through sexual intercourse. Instead, research told the men they were being treated for “bad
blood.” “Bad blood” was a local term used to describe several ailments, including syphilis,
anemia, and fatigue. The men received free medical exams, free meals, and burial insurance, in
exchange for taking part in the study.
By 1943, penicillin was the treatment of choice for syphilis and became widely available,
but the participants in the study were not offered treatment and were still being withheld from
them 25 years later. This issue was a direct violation of government legislation that mandated the
treatment of venereal disease. The men were monitored by health workers but only given
placebos such as aspirin and mineral supplements. Some participants were given arsenic,
bismuth, and mercury. PHS researchers convinced local physicians in Macon County not to treat
