CDC Director Under Fire for Tuskegee Syphilis Study Tweet
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky stirred controversy on Wednesday when she referred in a tweet to the Tuskegee Syphilis Study as a “sacrifice” from Black men.
Facts
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky stirred controversy on Wednesday when she referred in a tweet to the Tuskegee Syphilis Study as a “sacrifice” from Black men.
- The CDC held an event acknowledging the 50th anniversary of the end of the study in which 600 African American men — 399 of whom had syphilis — were deceived into participating in an experiment that observed the progression of the infection if left untreated.
- The United States Public Health Service (USPHS) held the experiment from 1932 to 1972. Participants were told they would be treated for "bad blood" while only being administered iron tonic and aspirin.
- Following the establishment of penicillin as a cure for syphilis in 1947, researchers withheld the treatment from the participants, leading to 128 deaths. Additionally, 40 wives were infected, and 19 children were born with congenital syphilis.
- A 2017 study from Stanford and the University of Tennessee revealed a correlation between the study’s disclosure and medical mistrust among African American men.
- Walensky has yet to delete the tweet or issue a statement regarding the controversy.
Sources: Newsweek, Eji, Daily Caller, and Bet.
Narratives
- Left narrative, as provided by Newsweek. Institutional racism is on display yet again as the CDC refuses to own up to its legacy and continues to target African Americans. The US government sanctioned the murders of black men in the Tuskegee experiments and has done nothing to atone for its actions.
- Right narrative, as provided by Red State. The CDC is once again proving that it is a nefarious organization that cannot be trusted or respected. From the Tuskegee Syphilis Study to the botched handling of COVID, it continues to act against the interests of people’s health and lacks all accountability.
- Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by HistoryBoomer. While carelessly worded, Walensky's post was a clear attempt to acknowledge the atrocity of the study, as the organization should. It undoubtedly missed the mark, but the tweet doesn't represent the CDC as a whole.
