Speak Out!
Blacks and Medical Research
Sun, 03/30/2008 - 20:09 | Health
A recent AP story reported on the possible lingering impact on a new generation of Blacks of the government's infamous Tuskegee Syphilis Study. It specifically looked at a possible role of the experiment in Blacks' participation (or not) in clinical trials:
Two separate studies by Johns Hopkins University physicians took opposing sides on whether the Tuskegee experiment remains a significant factor in turning blacks away from clinical trials at a greater rate than whites. And both tended to contradict an extensive 2005 National Institutes of Health computer survey that found, in fact, blacks are no different than whites in the rate at which they take part in clinical trials when offered the chance.Are Blacks more mistrustful of medical clinical trials or just not asked to participate as often?
Hard Left
Comments
Both, this and healthcare for
Both, this and healthcare for blacks is a real problem when others don't hear you anyway.
As a physician I would
As a physician I would suggest that to keep mentioning the Tuskegee experiment as THE example of the heinous actions of medicine is crazy or lazy!
We are REPLETE with examples of heinous medical experimentation on African Americans that have occurred since Tuskegee!
And YES! The African American patient is and should be frightened of each and every interaction with the healthcare system--regardless of the race of their physician.
There is no change in the devaluation of their lives--the only change is the efforts made to hide the illegal and heinous activities.
Personally, I participate in
Personally, I participate in clinical trials whenever there is one in which I am interested and qualify. I think it is important that Black folks are included in healthcare and medical studies as much as possible.
I first must comment as to
I first must comment as to the influence of the Tuskegee Study. As a PhD student (Nursing) in the data collection stage of my research, I do feel that the Tuskegee Study still has an influence on the participation of African Americans in health research. Historically, why should blacks trust the medical establishment? There are too many health disparities to count (we go to the hospital and die at greater rates from the same diseases as whites, and the greater your financial wealth, the greater your access to quality healthcare) and the Tuskegee study did not promote a level of trust in those who undertake medical research. However, a greater factor is that the researchers do not look like us and are not always invested in us or the community. The investment is usually in the financial aspect of the research (especially drug research). Is the average healthcare consumer aware of how medical researchers are paid to represent the product they are researching? How many recent studies besides The Sister Study can we reference as being representative of our health needs, and actively recruit and advertise in our community or address our needs (and this study is not exclusively geared toward the African American population)? Until we aim for more researchers who represent OUR needs, blacks will not be fully represented or fully participate in health research.
Blacks ought to be more
Blacks ought to be more mistrustful. There has been so much forced upon us all in the name of research...i.e. The military testing of crowd control weaponry. Most of us do not receive written invitations to participate. Our government and secret societies choose whom to use the voice 2 skull weapons on without the knowledge of the Human Test Subject. Raytheon test their D.E.W.s or direct energy weapons on unsuspecting people of color. I call them Death Energy Weapons. Created for torture purposes. Organizedcrimewaves.com will reflect this as well as FFCH.com. Enough research of drugs has been done in this country and around the world. Time to stop the madness. Release the cures, start the healing with what has already been developed and produced in this great nation and worldwide.
We as black folk had better mistrust the Eli Lillys of this world....especially when the company is owned and controlled by this country's president Bush. We need to educate ourselves and stop relying on the media mafia for directions in common sense.