Resource: Part 2 of The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks.
Post a 350- to 700-word :
- How did the Lacks family, the media, and the general population view the medical community during the 1950s?
- What is the Nuremberg Code? How was it used, and was it easily enforced? Why or why not?
Cite at least 2 peer-reviewed, scholarly, or similar references.
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Introduction:
The medical profession has come a long way from the time of Henrietta Lacks, where there were no established ethical guidelines for conducting medical research on human subjects. As a medical professor in charge of creating assignments and providing feedback to medical college students, it is essential to understand the historical context of medical research. This essay will provide answers to how the Lacks family, the media, and the general population viewed the medical community during the 1950s. Additionally, it will highlight the Nuremberg Code’s significance and how it was used and enforced.
How did the Lacks family, the media, and the general population view the medical community during the 1950s?
The Lacks family, the media, and the general population viewed the medical community during the 1950s with deep suspicion and mistrust. Henrietta Lacks’s experience, where her cells were harvested without her knowledge or consent, is a good example of the unethical practices that characterized the medical profession. The Lacks family was not informed of the medical research that was being conducted using Henrietta’s cells until much later. They felt violated and exploited, which led to their mistrust of the medical community and reluctance to participate in medical research.
The media coverage of Henrietta’s story also contributed to the mistrust of the medical community. The media portrayed the medical profession as exploitative, insensitive, and lacking in ethics. This negative perception of the medical community further exacerbated the mistrust of the general public. The general population felt that they were at risk of being exploited by the medical community, which made them hesitant to participate in medical research.
What is the Nuremberg Code? How was it used, and was it easily enforced? Why or why not?
The Nuremberg Code is a set of ethical guidelines that were established after the atrocities of World War II during the Nuremberg Trials. The code set out the fundamental principles for conducting medical research on human subjects, emphasizing voluntary consent, no harm, and the right to withdraw from the experiment. It was used as a model for ethical guidelines all over the world and became the basis for the Helsinki Declaration.
The enforcement of the Nuremberg Code was not easy. Although it set out clear ethical guidelines for conducting medical research on human subjects, it was challenging to enforce because there were no regulations or governing bodies to monitor compliance. Additionally, some medical researchers continued to use unethical practices to conduct medical research, even after the establishment of the Nuremberg Code.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the Lacks family’s mistrust of the medical community during the 1950s was understandable, given the lack of ethical guidelines governing medical research. The Nuremberg Code was established as a set of ethical guidelines for conducting medical research on human subjects but was not easily enforced. As medical professors, it is crucial to ensure that medical students understand the context of medical research and the importance of ethical guidelines for conducting medical research on human subjects.
References:
1. Beauchamp TL, Childress JF. Principles of biomedical ethics. Oxford University Press, USA; 2001.
2. The Nuremberg Code. JAMA. 1996 Nov 27;276(20):1691-1.
