Medical Experimentation in Prisons - Thesis Example

Medical Experimentation in Prisons Medical Experimentation in Prisons Medicine has been a part of society whose essentialness cannot be overstated. It is responsible for ensuring the safety and general good health of the world, and it is for this purpose that the research and experimentation in this field is an important factor when considering the wellbeing of the human race (Epstein, 2009, pg 5). Medical research can be defined as the basic and applied study of medical related issues in a bid to enhance the body of knowledge in this sector so as to improve the success of various treatments available to the public (Lakhan et al, 2009, pg12). There have been a number of issues however that have been raised when dealing with medical experimentation especially when the test subjects are human beings. This has to do with medical ethics and the right of going about seeking test subjects as well as the process of the experiments themselves. One of these issues is the matter of using prisoners to conduct medical experiments on various diseases such as AIDS and Hepatitis C when seeking cures. The argument behind the use of prisoners for the conducting of medical experiments in these areas is the fact that there is a higher prevalence of these diseases in the prison populations as compared to other groups and thus it is generally a convenient approach whilst seeking test subjects (Epstein, 2009, pg38). However, it has to be considered whether it is right to use prisoners as guinea pigs for medical experiments, or is it a type of discrimination on the part of the medical researchers (Tauber, 2005, pg18). This subject can be said to have both pros and cons when put into, and the issue is if the pros outweigh the cons considerably enough to win the day. Pros There are a number of advantages to be considered by using prisoners as test subjects for new drugs to combat these diseases. These advantages have to do with the situation at hand and the potential positive outcome should the drugs be successful. They include: Situational advantage – Prisoners are in a position where they reside in a controlled environment and thus this would make it easier for researchers to ensure that the test subjects are placed in a conducive environment for the conduction of the research (Lakhan et al, 2009, pg 12). For example, this is to say if the subject is not supposed to take any alcohol during the test period, this would not be a problem as they have no access to any liquor. Since the test subjects are all located in one area for the entirety of the test period, observation also becomes a simpler process as compared to other subjects who have the ability to move around and may be forced to do so due to circumstances (Tauber, 2005, pg37). Convenience – The fact remains that prisons do indeed have a higher population of individuals infected with AIDS and Hepatitis C than other communities and thus this means that the researchers have a larger number of potential test subjects for their research (Epstein, 2009, pg45). The prisoners also have medical files that contain their information and thus finding potential subjects would not be a complicated process involving testing of the individuals to determine whether they are truly infected. Opportunity – Some prisoners would like to be given the opportunity to repay their debt to the community in a way that would help others and the conduction of these experiments is one way through which they would be able to do so. This research would go a long way in enhancing the knowledge that the medical world has on these diseases and the best way of treating them (Epstein, 2009, pg23). Participating in these experiments would give the individuals the opportunity to contribute to the society while they are still in prison. Cons There are also a number of disadvantages that should be factored into the equation when deciding whether the use of prisoners as test subjects is an acceptable approach in the realm of medical research (Lakhan et al, 2009, pg65). Convenience cannot be the only reason that such a move should be implemented, and there are various other ethical issues that should be considered as well. Some of these include: Discrimination – This can be considered to be the main issue of concern while considering this matter. The question remains whether it is right for prisoners to be seen as the main potential candidates for medical experiments just because of their situation or is it a form of discrimination? Conducting medical experiments on prisoners can be seen as the society looking down on them because of who they are (that is, convicted felons). A good example of this type of discrimination can be derived from the time when medical experiments were conducted on the African American population as they were seen as a lesser race (Nelson, 2007). Safety – The issue of the safety of these experiments should also be taken into consideration as well. Experiments are known as such because it involves testing to finding out if a particular drug is successful or not. The researchers could be seen as targeting the prison population for the reason that they would rather put them at risk as compared to the rest of society which is unethical in its self (Tauber, 2005, pg56). If the drugs are potentially dangerous they should not be conducted on any human being even prisoners. Psychological Targeting – The use of prisoners as test subjects for experimental drugs can be seen as the psychological targeting of a particular group of people for the convenience of medical research (Lakhan et al, 2009, pg123). Researchers can be seen as targeting this particular population because most of these individuals may be depressed about their situation and believe they have nothing to lose thus they willingly accept to be used as test subjects for the various experiments (Tauber, 2005, pg34). Exploiting the psychology of such individuals to the advantage of the researchers is not ethical and thus should not even be taken into consideration. In conclusion, the use of prisoners as test subjects for experimental drugs is not something that should be considered with extreme care and no implementation should be put in place until all the factors are studies (Epstein, 2009, pg 45). This approach may seem advantageous to the medical researchers, but it should only be done if it clears the ethical and moral considerations that have been put to it. References Epstein, S. (2009). Inclusion: The Politics of Difference in Medical Research. Chicago : University of Chicago Press. Nelson, A. (2007). Unequal Treatment: How African Americans have often been the unwitting victims of medical experiments. The Washington Post. Retrieved from: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2007/01/05/AR2007010500180.html Lakhan S. E., Hamlat E., McNamee T, & Laird C. (2009). Time for a unified approach to medical ethics. Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine 4 (3). Tauber, A. I. (2005). Patient Autonomy and the Ethics of Responsibility. Cambridge: MIT Press. Read More