The study at the center of the present discussion is called “The Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis: A Case Study in Peripheral Trauma with Implications for Health Professionals”, and concerns some of the lasting implications the Tuskegee study has left on the African-American population. In particular, the concept of peripheral trauma is discussed as a phenomenon that affects particular parts of the population. Researchers note that racially or ethnically motivated occurrences can hurt the people who were not directly affected, negatively impacting their mental health and wellbeing (Alsan, 2019). Police violence, mass incarceration, and rough immigration treatment have all had a role in shaping the psyche of a black US citizen. The article summarizes findings on this consideration in the medical sphere, especially concerning the Tuskegee study. The mistreatment of black people during the experiment and a lack of disclosure has permanently scarred the relationship of trust between the medical establishment and the African-American community.
This article presents one of the most important considerations for understanding the effects the Tuskegee study has had on the current black population and their relation with the Covid-19 vaccine. A deep look into the effects of the experiment needs to be made in the course of remedying the past. The challenge of finding approaches to solving this issue is evident, as both therapists and medical professionals need to find suitable approaches to working with this segment of the American population. Considerations of hesitancy and mistrust are especially important in the face of the recent pandemic. Covid-19 has spread like an infectious and dangerous condition people need to be always prepared for. With the combined efforts of various countries, the ability to produce a vaccine was secured. However, there are doubts about the safety and effectiveness of vaccination treatment among certain fragments of the population. For black people, the worry is justified by years of medical and physical exploitation and misleading practices, such as the ones used in the Tuskegee study. While discussing the effects of the paper, it is also important to note the other possible roads for inquiry its existence has created. The established connection between past events and current attitudes can be further examined to evaluate the effects of population trauma on the effectiveness of particular social programs and to examine better ways of working with a vulnerable demographic.
Reference
Alsan, M., Wanamaker, M., & Hardeman, R. R. (2019). The Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis: A Case Study in Peripheral Trauma with Implications for Health Professionals. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 35(1), 322–325.