Tuskegee Syphilis Study

Quick Facts: Who was Tuskegee Syphilis Study?

Subject:

Tuskegee Syphilis Study

Known for:

A notorious 40-year unethical study observing untreated syphilis in African American men.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male (informally referred to as the Tuskegee Experiment or Tuskegee Syphilis Study) was a study conducted between 1932 and 1972 by the United States Public Health Service (PHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on a group of 399 African American men with syphilis as well as a control group without. The purpose of the study was to observe the effects of the disease when untreated, to the point of death and autopsy. Although there had been effective treatments to reduce the severity of the disease since the 1920s, the use of penicillin for the treatment of syphilis was widespread as of 1945. The men were not informed of the nature of the study, proper treatment was withheld, and more than 100 died as a result. The Public Health Service started the study in 1932 in collaboration with Tuskegee University (then the Tuskegee Institute), a historically Black college in Alabama.

Career & Major Achievements

In the study, investigators enrolled 600 impoverished African American sharecroppers from Macon County, Alabama. Of these men, 399 had latent syphilis, with a control group of 201 men who were not infected. As an incentive for participation in the study, the men were promised free medical care and promised funeral expenses. While the men were provided with both medical and mental care that they otherwise would not have received, they were deceived by the PHS, who never informed them of their syphilis diagnosis and who provided disguised placebos, ineffective treatments, and diagnostic procedures, such as lumbar punctures, as treatment for "bad blood". The men were initially told that the experiment was only going to last six months, but it was extended to 40 years.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

After funding for treatment was lost, the study was continued without informing the men that they would never be treated. None of the infected men were treated with penicillin despite the fact that, by 1947, the antibiotic was widely available and had become the standard treatment for syphilis. The study continued, under numerous Public Health Service supervisors, until 1972, when a leak to the press resulted in its termination on November 16 of that year. By then, 28 patients had died directly from syphilis, 100 died from complications related to syphilis, 40 of the patients' wives were infected with syphilis, and 19 children were born with congenital syphilis. The 40-year Tuskegee Study was a major violation of ethical standards and has been cited as "arguably the most infamous biomedical research study in U.S. history".

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1932: 1932 Milestone — The Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male (informally referred to as the Tuskegee Experiment or Tuskegee Syphilis Study) was a study conducted between 1932 and 1972 by the United States Public Health Service (PHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on a group of 399 African American men with syphilis as well as a control group without.
2. 1945: 1945 Milestone — Although there had been effective treatments to reduce the severity of the disease since the 1920s, the use of penicillin for the treatment of syphilis was widespread as of 1945.
3. 1947: 1947 Milestone — None of the infected men were treated with penicillin despite the fact that, by 1947, the antibiotic was widely available and had become the standard treatment for syphilis.
4. 1972: 1972 Milestone — The study continued, under numerous Public Health Service supervisors, until 1972, when a leak to the press resulted in its termination on November 16 of that year.

Notable Quotes by Tuskegee Syphilis Study

“What was done cannot be undone, but we can end the silence.” (1997)

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Tuskegee Syphilis Study

True or False: “The Tuskegee Study initially intended to observe syphilis progression only in white male populations.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The study specifically targeted African American sharecroppers from Macon County, Alabama.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Tuskegee Syphilis Study