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The radio show concerning the medical apartheid discussed the history of medical “tests” conducted on African Americans from colonial times until present. It Is disturbing how much many doctors were able to get away with when Inhumanly testing on black people. Even up until the sass’s It was common practice to conduct medical tests specifically on black people. Medical Apartheid was a disturbing practice In America that many doctors Justified by suggesting that these African Americans would not have received any medical care If It were not for their testing.
These medical professionals were presented with many ethical questions, however, not ethical dilemmas because the Issues with what they were dealing with had a clear right and wrong. Up until recent times Inhumane medical tests have been conducted on African Americans and were justified through a common belief that the people being tested had no other means to receive medical attention. This common belief is most certainly outrageous and is not based on reality. The reality is that these tests were based on racism.
Many of these medical professionals were racist and were exerting heir power over the other race through medical testing. Because these medical professionals could take advantage of uneducated African Americans they were. There were no ethical dilemmas involved with the medical apartheid, however, there were serious ethical questions. There were no ethical dilemmas because to constitute an ethical dilemma one must have to choose between right and right. In the medical apartheid there was a clear choice between right and wrong.
One neurosurgeon conducted brain surgeries on African American boys in an attempt to figure out what parts of the brain were causing behavioral problems. The surgeon would remove parts of the brain Just to see if it would cure the problem, not because it was based on medical fact. Many of these medical professionals were able to trick their African American patients into thinking that they were being cured because most of the patients were uneducated and placed too much trust In their unethical physicians.
For example, there was much “testing” on a group of African American men who had syphilis. The men believed their doctors were curing them of their disease when In reality their doctors believed that black people “Inherently’ had syphilis and there was no reason o cure them, even though there was a cure available. In the end, there were no ethical dilemmas Involved with the Issue of medical apartheid because there was no dilemma; It was a clear choice between right and wrong.
Although, medical professionals who conducted these Inhumane experiments justified their actions by saying that their patients would not have been treated AT It were not Tort teen, It Is quilt clear Tanat not Dealing treated at all was ten better option. The underlying theme of the medical apartheid in America like the apartheid in South Africa was racism and control over others.