Clinical trials have always been a slightly murky area. They need to be done, yet often people do not approve of the way things are being done. Where's the meeting line? Can a compromise be made? Should there be a compromise?
Clinical trials should be stopped and only done on animals. People are treated unfairly and do not understand what they are getting themselves into. Informed consent exists but the researchers speak in large words and do not take the time to make sure that the prospective participants understand everything. Many researchers lie about the true purpose of their trials. For example, the Tuskegee Trial where a trial was done to see how syphilis affected black men. These men were told they were being treated for "bad blood" but never received any treatment. The researchers told them they would help them get better, but actually only wanted to wait until the men died to see what exactly caused the deaths. Such clinical trials should not happen.
Clinical trials need to be done. They help find life-saving cures and further the world in medicine. Without them the public would be given drugs without knowing the full effect that it has on humans, because no one had tried it out. More people would be hurt than helped without clinical trials. Clinical trials save lives. Cures are found and drugs are made safe for the public to become healthy and to keep creating ways to help people survive disease. Without this process people would die from the simplest diseases. Clinical trials have been around forever, and there is a reason they have been used, and that is because they work and are helpful.
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12 years ago
That's all good and well, but why do we have to know everything, huh? Why do we have to put lives at risk just to do so? If they really were so ethical, would they sacrifice a man to save a thousand? And could they still save a that same thousand without killing the man, even though that may mean may a cure will be delayed?
ReplyDeleteI give up, mieke- ethics are too hard.
I love ethics questions. The Tuskegee Airmen trials on syphilis, which you mentioned are a great example of the question: At what point are possible dangerous medical tests allowable? (which is, of course, the heart of the issue) Of course, people should be made aware of the risks of these tests. But beyond those from whom the risks are hidden...what about those who are desperate for a few extra dollars? There are ethical questions to be raised about those who are perfectly aware of the damages of testing, but are basically being taken advantage of through circumstance.
ReplyDeletegreat issue.