TY - JOUR
T1 - The Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis
T2 - A Case Study in Peripheral Trauma with Implications for Health Professionals
AU - Alsan, Marcella
AU - Wanamaker, Marianne
AU - Hardeman, Rachel R.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019, Society of General Internal Medicine.
PY - 2020/1/1
Y1 - 2020/1/1
N2 - Racially or ethnically targeted events may have adverse health implications for members of the group not directly targeted, a phenomenon known as peripheral trauma. Recent evidence suggests that mass incarceration, police brutality, and immigration actions all have such effects, as did medical exploitation by the US government during the Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male. We summarize recent findings in the economics literature on population-level effects of the Tuskegee study, including a decline in health-seeking behavior and a rise of both mortality and medical mistrust among African-American men not enrolled in the study. We highlight the relevance of our findings for present-day racial health disparities. Practitioner awareness of peripheral trauma is an important element of cultural competency. But among options to substantially improve minority trust in the healthcare system, the diversification of medical practitioners may hold greatest promise.
AB - Racially or ethnically targeted events may have adverse health implications for members of the group not directly targeted, a phenomenon known as peripheral trauma. Recent evidence suggests that mass incarceration, police brutality, and immigration actions all have such effects, as did medical exploitation by the US government during the Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male. We summarize recent findings in the economics literature on population-level effects of the Tuskegee study, including a decline in health-seeking behavior and a rise of both mortality and medical mistrust among African-American men not enrolled in the study. We highlight the relevance of our findings for present-day racial health disparities. Practitioner awareness of peripheral trauma is an important element of cultural competency. But among options to substantially improve minority trust in the healthcare system, the diversification of medical practitioners may hold greatest promise.
KW - mistrust in institutions
KW - population health
KW - racial disparities
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U2 - 10.1007/s11606-019-05309-8
DO - 10.1007/s11606-019-05309-8
M3 - Article
C2 - 31646456
AN - SCOPUS:85074670827
SN - 0884-8734
VL - 35
SP - 322
EP - 325
JO - Journal of general internal medicine
JF - Journal of general internal medicine
IS - 1
ER -