[image: Bacteria that causes syphilis] Syphilis can cause blindness,
insanity and even death
The United States
hundreds of people in Guatemala
medical tests more than 60 years ago.
None of those infected - mentally ill patients and prisoners - consented.
Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom accused the US
humanity".
US President Barack Obama has called Mr Colom to apologise and has said the
acts ran contrary to American values.
Continue reading the main
story<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11454789#story_continues_1 >
“Start Quote
We deeply regret that it happened, and we apologise to all the individuals
who were affected by such abhorrent research practicesâ€
End Quote Statement from secretaries of state and health
'Shocking, tragic, reprehensible'
Syphilis can cause heart problems, blindness, mental illness and even death,
and although the patients were treated it is not known how many recovered.
Evidence of the
programme<http://www.wellesley.edu/WomenSt/Reverby%20Normal%20Exposure.pdf >was
unearthed by Prof Susan Reverby at Wellesley College
Guatemalan government gave permission for the tests.
No offer of compensation has yet been made, but an investigation will be
launched into the specifics of the study, which took place between 1946 and
1948.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said on Friday the news was "shocking,
it's tragic, it's reprehensible".
The joint statement from Mrs Clinton and Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius
said: "Although these events occurred more than 64 years ago, we are
outraged that such reprehensible research could have occurred under the
guise of public health.
"We deeply regret that it happened, and we apologise to all the individuals
who were affected by such abhorrent research practices."
Unaware
The study by Prof Reverby shows that US government medical researchers
infected almost 700 people in Guatemala
diseases.
The patients - prisoners and people suffering mental health problems - were
unaware they were being experimented upon.
The doctors used prostitutes with syphilis to infect them, or inoculation,
as they tried to determine whether penicillin could prevent syphilis, not
just cure it.
The patients were then treated for the disease, but it is unclear whether
everyone was cured.
Prof Reverby has previously done research on the Tuskegee
the US
without telling them they had the disease or adequately treating it.
The experiment ran from 1932 to 1972, with President Bill Clinton eventually
apologizing for it.
The joint statement from Mrs Clinton and Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius
said: "Although these events occurred more than 64 years ago, we are
outraged that such reprehensible research could have occurred under the
guise of public health.
"We deeply regret that it happened, and we apologise to all the individuals
who were affected by such abhorrent research practices."
Unaware
The study by Prof Reverby shows that US government medical researchers
infected almost 700 people in
diseases.
The patients - prisoners and people suffering mental health problems - were
unaware they were being experimented upon.
The doctors used prostitutes with syphilis to infect them, or inoculation,
as they tried to determine whether penicillin could prevent syphilis, not
just cure it.
The patients were then treated for the disease, but it is unclear whether
everyone was cured.
Prof Reverby has previously done research on the
the
without telling them they had the disease or adequately treating it.
The experiment ran from 1932 to 1972, with President Bill Clinton eventually
apologizing for it.
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