Saturday, September 4, 2010
Are There Exceptions?
The Tuskegee Case set a precedent that participants in a case study have the right and MUST be informed about every aspect of the study. In some cases, I feel that this is right, especially considering scientific experimients that could potentially cost lives. However, in some cases, complete knowledge of the study could bias the participants and lead to inaccurate results. So, do you feel that there should be certain exceptions to the rule or should participants in studies ALWAYS be informed of every single detail? Also, can the government play a role in this? Do you think the government should be required to review all scientific experiments?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I believe that now a days the government does not have to play a role because much of the racism is dead now, and we have law and order. However at the time of the experiment the government should of taken complete responsibility. I believe the government was trying to tackle down racism in this time period however they did not take interest in the situation. For this situation not to happen again, they should at least make a certain law that would protect the human test subject. But again what is the likelihood for this situation to happen again.
ReplyDeleteRahill- I'm not sure it's fair to say that racism is dead, I think it depends on where in the country you go and who you talk to. As far as basing an entire medical study on race I don't really think that will happen again. However, if it ever became an issue that is where the goverment would have to step in. Otherwaise I think the government shouldn't have to play a role in scientific medicine.
ReplyDeleteI think Tanya poses a really good question. On one hand, you know that if people are always fully informed we won't really advance science. On the other hand no one would want to be that person that is not fully informed of what an experiment entails. I think the best way to be fair to everyone is to stick with the currant rule, that everyone must be informed about everything. We have to remember that the subjects of an experiment are not just lab rats to be experimented on. They're human beings and they have a right to know what they're doing to their bodies.
Rahil, I disagree Racism is dead now. Although many people frown upon racism, it is unfortunately still prevalent in some areas more than other depending on the location. Recently in October 2009, according to CNN, a justice of the peace in Louisiana refussed to issue a marriage license to an interracial couple because he claimed he didn’t edorse the marriage between a white and a black and feared for their children. This is just one example of many of racisim today. In addition, I agree with Sarah that human beings have a right to know what scientists are doing to their bodies. I think it is important for the government to be involved with laws and regulations to ensure another atrocity like the Tuskegee Case does not happen again and to keep people informed.
ReplyDeleteI agree with sarah and Gloria on how racism is still very much prevalent in today's society. Just playing with my all black traveling team this summer we had to deal with racism and that was just in Illinois! But I definately think people should be informed I mean if people are volunteering their own bodies to help scientists with an experiment they should have
ReplyDeletethe right to know all the information.
Although we may not like to admit it, racism is still very much in our society today. We strive for equality, yet there are many situations that prove we are not there yet. I think that the government should review all scientific experiments that involve human testing nothing like this would happen agian.
ReplyDeleteAs for the second half of your question. I do think every human has the right to know EVERY detail of information when it comes to human experiments. I also understand what was brought up earlier, we might get different results if the subject was not fully informed, but I think the placebo effect is the most effective way to receive accurate results without breaking any personal rights.
I also disagree that all racism is dead now. Maybe it is not as severe as it used to be but racism is still an issue in many cases. I think that just for the sake of being safe rather than sorry the government should approve all scientific experiments. The participants in the experiments deserve to know what they are apart of. and anything thing that would prevent another study like this i think should be acted upon.
ReplyDeleteI think everyone can agree that racism is not dead, and it will not be anytime soon. But back to the initial question of if all information should be told to the participants of a study- NO. For example, if I am studying the mind's capacity to cure itself of cancer, I design an experiment. Let's say that I use a control group, to whom I give a pill placebo (one that has no medicinal effect), and one group a pill that is being studied as a potential cure for cancer. In order for my experiment to work, I must tell ALL participants that they are receiving a drug that is being studied for the potential to cure cancer. By doing so, I am lying to the participants who are receiving the placebo, but not to the other group. Also, I can't study the capability of the mind to cure cancer (itself, in thinking it is receiving medicinal treatment) if I tell the first group that their pill is fake and is not proven to cure anything, because with that notion, I might ruin my chances of collecting accurate data on the disease's progression. By lying to the first group, the results I receive will be consistent with what I am researching. However, this type of misinformation is not harmful to the participants (and it is psychologically ethical). The Tuskegee study WAS harmful to its participants because they were knowingly killing men who could have been cured with penicillin. The participants of my study are not being neglected, as no known cure for cancer exists (and they're dying anyway- the men in the Tuskegee study didn't have to die).
ReplyDelete