IndexEthical PrinciplesNuremberg Code and Belmont ReportUniversal Declaration of Human RightsConclusionReferencesBecause patients place their trust in healthcare professionals, they have a great responsibility to ensure appropriate care. With this responsibility, it is a sad reality that the government failed to enforce ethics during the Tuskegee study in Alabama. This study, which lasted from 1932 to 1972, conducted experiments on 400 poor African American men suffering from syphilis (The Deadly Deception, 2019). Deceived by the government, participants were told they needed treatment for "bad blood" and were offered incentives such as free healthcare to continue the study. As the study progressed, treatment was stopped, causing each participant's health to worsen. Ethics are an essential element of healthcare because they enable effective and beneficial care. Without ethics, the healthcare experience for patients becomes harmful as dangers emerge within the patient experience. This study was flawed according to ethical principles and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Tuskegee study refers to the Nuremberg Code and the Belmont Report which sought to improve ethics in healthcare. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Ethical Principles The men involved in the Tuskegee syphilis study experienced no respect for persons, beneficence, or justice. Respect for persons or respect for human dignity revolves around a person's right to self-determination and their right to full disclosure (Polit, 2018, pdf.175). This refers to how participants should have the freedom to engage in a study without the risk of harmful treatment. The right to understand what is happening by asking questions and interrupting engagement applies even without persuasion. Full disclosure promotes informed and fair decisions in participating in research by disclosing side effects and the possibility of abandoning the study. The lack of coercion, bribery, and blackmail is also prohibited because it hinders free will and puts pressure on making a decision that may not align with someone's true intentions. Of the 400 African American men who took part in this study, none received the right to respect for human dignity. Important information such as an in-depth briefing of the procedures was hidden. The men were told they would be treated for syphilis free of charge if they participated. This is a form of coercion because the incentives and kickbacks of free healthcare push patients to participate without the proper information. In the long term, they were never treated for syphilis in this study. Furthermore, they were not informed about the actual purpose of the study, the associated risks, or the procedures performed. Another example of disrespect was how a letter was sent falsely stating that a spinal tap was an additional treatment needed to cure syphilis. This was done to perform more tests on men. This demonstrates manipulative intent and lacks respect for the patient's integrity and right to be adequately informed. Additionally, they were offered $50 in health insurance to continue participating in the study (The Deadly Deception, 2019). This is another form of coercion involving persuading patients to engage in the poorly described Tuskegee study. Another important factor to consider in the Tuskegee study was the absence ofcharity. Beneficence includes the guarantee of the right to prevention of exploitation and freedom from hardship and harm. This act also aims to minimize harm and maximize beneficial aspects within the healthcare process. Researchers have an obligation not to use information against patients and not to conduct experiments aimed at producing benefits for patients. An example of how charity was not applied was how the Tuskegee men were not offered penicillin that had been recommended to treat syphilis. Despite having the knowledge of what helps fight syphilis at that time, researchers sought to exploit and take advantage of the fact that men did not know what was best for their health. Minimizing the damage would also have meant using penicillin because it was known to combat the complications brought by syphilis. The Tuskegee study in many ways represented an abandonment of justice. This principle implies the right to fair treatment and the right to privacy. One way in which justice was violated was how it was explained to participants that the study would last 6 months. Instead, it lasted until about 40 years of age. This unfair time difference also reveals a lack of transparency that is critical as it implies the negligent and malicious intent of researchers. Another example that shows why the Tuskegee study was unfair was how the study targeted the Tuskegee men based on poverty vulnerability. It also involved only black and non-white people with syphilis, which demonstrates discriminatory bias. This is important to consider because it pertains to education levels and their awareness of protesting the immoral conduct involving the Tuskegee study. A violation of privacy was also committed by the Tuskegee study as they shared information with major medical journals and the United States Congress throughout the 40-year period without patients' consent (The Deadly Deception, 2019).Nuremberg Code and Belmont ReportThe ethical principles of respect for persons, beneficence, and justice are stated in the Belmont Report, established to increase ethics in healthcare practices since 1978. These ethical principles have helped provide a standard among organizations in the United States and are were established by the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research (Polit, 2018, pdf.171). Situations such as the Tuskegee study raised awareness of the lack of ethics in healthcare which may have influenced the establishment of regulations such as the Belmont Report. Another form of regulation is the Nuremberg Code of 1947 in response to the atrocities of Nazi doctors revealed at Nuremberg. trial. There are ten points that have been implemented regarding the Nuremberg Code. The first and most significant point made is that anyone participating in an experiment or study must give informed consent (Nuremberg Code, 2018). The individual should have the capacity to provide consent. It is necessary that sufficiently clear information is provided for the subject to understand and consent or refuse. The Nuremberg trials took place in an attempt to convict Nazi doctors who had performed inhumane and unethical experiments on concentration camp prisoners (Science Museum). Unfortunately, the Nuremberg Code was not taken into account in the Tuskegee study. During the time the code was introduced, penicillin was found to be an effective treatment for syphilis. Tuskegee government scientists rejected the importance of the Nuremberg Code..