Why Is Henrietta Lacks Unethical

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Midterm Response to Question 1: Was it ethically acceptable for Henrietta Lacks’ cells to be taken? At what point and by whom was Henrietta Lacks or family wronged?

The timeline is of outmost importance in framing a response to the question on the ethics of taking cells from patient Henrietta Lacks. The diagnosis of invasive cervical carcinomas for Henrietta in 1951 was prior to laws and regulations on “informed consent”. Henrietta had signed an “Operation Permit” at the time of her procedure. Therefore, the acceptability of removing cells from her or any other patient in the name of science and research was ethical at that time. The events that followed the discovery of Henrietta’s cancerous cells being immortal is a new matter entirely. The hospital or any medical professional involved should have never released her name or medical records. …show more content…
The operation permit reads “I hereby give consent to the staff of The John Hopkins Hospital to perform any operative procedures and under any anesthetic either local or general that they may deem necessary in the proper surgical care and treatment of: __________” (p 31). At this time, Doctor George Gey, head of tissue culture research at Hopkins was working with Dr. Richard Wesley TeLinda described in Cast of Characters of the book quotes “one of the top cervical cancer experts in the country at the time of Henrietta’s diagnosis. His research involved taking tissue samples from Henrietta and other at John Hopkins” (Skloot, p 331). The point is that this was standard operation procedure at the time and by signing the hospitals “operation permit” cell collection was standard operating procedures for John Hopkins Medical Research Hospital. The prescribed treatment of radium and cell collection was part of the primitive administrative and surgical procedures for its

Why Is Henrietta Lacks Unethical

of Henrietta Lacks was able to unknowingly achieve this goal, and still remains living until this day. Henrietta Lacks was an African-American woman living from 1920 until 1951. Although her body died in 1951, her cells are still alive and thriving today. These cells were harvested from Henrietta’s cervix after she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Research on Henrietta Lack’s cells laid the foundation for a wealth of extraordinary developments in the life science industry. Henrietta Lacks lived…

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Why Is Henrietta Lacks Unethical

distressed but probably befuddled as well. How could your cells from your body be taken without your permission? The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot recounts the events of a legendary lady and her family who went through troublesome and perplexing times. Henrietta Lacks, known for her “HeLa” cells, was a poor African American tobacco farmer. Henrietta was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 1951, a time when there were scarcely any ethics laws in place for doctors and medical personnel…

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Why Is Henrietta Lacks Unethical

named Henrietta Lacks.Henrietta was born on August 1st , 1920 in Roanoke, Virginia. She was a mother of 5 children and an African American woman who had cervical cancer. When most people think about HeLa cells they don’t usually think about the person behind it, Henrietta Lacks. Henrietta had been getting treatment with radium for her cervical cancer. In one session of this treatment Dr. Lawrence Wharton Jr. had picked up a sharp knife and shaved two dime-sized pieces of tissue from Henrietta while…

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The Pros And Cons Of Henrietta Lacks

scientific study in search of a cure for cancer. It would be unfortunate but for Henrietta Lack’s family that was a reality, and to make matters the worst Henrietta never found out her cells were being used. Henrietta Lacks was an African American woman whose cancerous cells were taken from her without her consent. The cells that were taken from Henrietta Lacks turned her family's life upside down. It is wrong and unethical to use someone without their consent. Doctors should not use a patient's cells…

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Henrietta Lacks Research Paper

Henrietta Lacks, a woman known for liking to help others. She was the first person to be known to have immortal cells. Her cells were taken from her and used in many medicines and researches. They soon were sent around the world to scientist wanting to research them. The cells were able to create vaccines, perform new tests, helped cloning and launch the field of virology. Although Henrietta never knew about the use of her cells and her family found out years later, her family was more curious than…

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The Bad Blood: The Tuskegee Study

who do not identify as White-American. Various factors influence the decision on why racial and ethnic minorities deliberately refuse to be a part of research including experimentation, observation and different forms of study. However, the preceding aspect behind the majority of these cases, is an inherent lack of trust within the communities of minorities due to the historical mistreatment of minorities and unethical practices within the field of biomedical research. In nine-teen thirty-two, the…

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Henrietta Lacks Reflection

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a book that caught me off guard, and going into the book I had no idea what to expect. The way the story of the Lacks family and the HeLa cell line evolved over time and through the course of the book was a new and interesting experience for me. Nonetheless, I knew going into this that it was nonfiction, and there was bound to be some emotional impact and thought provoking material within the book. The book was both informative, educational, and explored the…

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Henrietta Lacks Research Paper

Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Tonya Reyes -Dickerson – Med 100 Independence University Write a paper to suggest a solution to how this situation should be handled both ethically and legally and defend it. Be sure to include the evidence from the excerpt that supports your decision. You should also include at least one external source to support your solution. The paper must be 500 words or more. TONYA REYES-DICKERSON WK 4 ASSIGNMENT- MED100 2 This paper is on Henrietta Lacks a poor African…

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Lack Family Ethical Analysis

Ethically Unethical Situation While reading this book, I found myself debating whether the Lack’s family should be compensated for their mother's cells or not. Though the situation was not ethical, there were no laws that stated you needed a patient's consent. Now, looking at the medical field, we find that different things are taught at schools and there are different laws that help to protect patients from incidents like this. The Lack’s family should not be compensated for their mother's cells…

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Reforming The Juvenile System In St. Louis, 1926-1970

Jessica O’Brien Reforming the Juvenile System in St. Louis: The Role of Social Organizations, 1926-1974 Before the turn of the twentieth century, no separate institutions dealing with children who committed crimes existed. Children, no matter what age, were housed in prisons alongside some of the most hardened criminals. During the Progressive Era, however, many groups of people wanted to reform the justice system as well as other political and social aspects of American life. In particular, women’s…

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