"Panel says US scientists knew Guatemala research unethical; Subjects infected with gonorrhea, syphilis in 1940s" August 31, 2011|By Rob Stein, Washington Post
WASHINGTON - US government researchers who purposely infected unwitting subjects with sexually transmitted diseases in Guatemala in the 1940s had obtained consent a few years earlier before conducting similar experiments in Indiana, investigators reported this week.
And they wonder why we don't trust their damn needles.
Related: U.S. Gave Guatemalans Gonorrhea
And they did it to Americans, too.
The stark contrast between how the US Public Health Service scientists experimented with Americans and Guatemalans clearly shows that researchers knew their conduct was unethical, according to members of the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, which is investigating the experiments.
“These researchers knew these were unethical experiments, and they conducted them anyway,’’ said Raju Kucherlapati of Harvard Medical School, a commission member. “That is what is reprehensible.’’
At least 5,500 prisoners, mental patients, soldiers, and children were drafted into the experiments, including at least 1,300 who were exposed to the sexually transmitted diseases syphilis, gonorrhea, and chancroid, the commission reported. At least 83 subjects died, although the commission could not determine how many of the deaths were directly caused by the experiments, they said Monday.
I consider it state murder, but that's me.
“This is a dark chapter in our history. It is important to shine the light of day on it. We owe it to the people of Guatemala who were experimented on, and we owe it to ourselves to recognize what a dark chapter it was,’’ said Amy Gutmann of the University of Pennsylvania, the commission’s chairwoman.
We have a LOT of DARK CHAPTERS in our history! That's what is so discouraging about my ejewcation.
The revelations came on the opening day of a two-day hearing the commission convened to review the findings of its investigation. President Obama ordered the investigation when the experiments were revealed in October. Investigators reviewed more than 125,000 documents from public and private archives around the country and conducted a fact-finding trip to the Central American nation.
The Guatemalan government is conducting its own investigation. The experiments were approved by some Guatemalan officials....
In one case described during Monday’s two-hour hearing, a woman who was infected with syphilis was clearly dying from the disease. Instead of treating her, the researchers poured gonorrhea-infected pus into her eyes and other orifices and infected her again with syphilis. She died six months later.
Oh, we have CROSSED the LEVEL into HORRENDOUS TORTURE and WAR CRIMES now!!!
Only took 70 YEARS to ACKNOWLEDGE, 'eh?
The ultimate goal of the Guatemalan research was to determine whether taking penicillin after sex would protect against syphilis, gonorrhea, and chancroid. The question was a medical priority at the time, especially in the military....
The research included infecting prisoners by bringing them prostitutes who were already carrying the diseases or were purposely infected by the researchers.
How GRUESOME!
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Now you know why your pee-pee hurt this morning.
Ah, but the memories....
"Ex-general atop polls as Guatemalans vote" September 12, 2011|Associated Press
GUATEMALA CITY - A former military general known for his “iron fist’’ campaign to stop Guatemala’s epidemic crime rates led the field of 10 candidates heading into yesterday’s presidential election.
Voters disappointed in outgoing President Alvaro Colom’s failure to reduce crime have indicated in polls that Otto Perez Molina may be the best person to lead the nation, which has one of the highest murder rates in the Western Hemisphere....
Guatemala has its own gangs.
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Also see: US couple told to return adopted girl
