The Tuskegee Study

The Tuskegee Study was a controversial medical research project conducted from 1932 to 1972 by the U.S. Public Health Service. It involved the observation of African American men in Alabama who were infected with syphilis but were not informed of their illness or treated, even after penicillin became the standard cure. The study aimed to observe the disease's progression, but it was ethically flawed, as it violated the participants' rights and lacked informed consent. The study has had a lasting impact on medical ethics and trust in healthcare, prompting stricter regulations to protect human subjects in research.