Alabama House Expresses ‘Regret’ for Tuskegee Syphilis Study
The Alabama House expressed "regret" on Tuesday for the role the state health department played in the "infamous" Tuskegee Syphilis Study, the AP/Philadelphia Inquirer reports. From 1932 until 1972, researchers studied 600 black Alabaman men with syphilis, many of whom were not aware they had the disease, and did not provide the participants with medication. In 1997, President Clinton apologized for the federal government's participation in the study, but Alabama has never formally apologized. State Rep. Johnny Ford (D), sponsor of the resolution approved by the House on April 26, said, "It was important for this state to acknowledge that this tragedy happened and to acknowledge that it will never happen again" (AP/Philadelphia Inquirer, 5/10).
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