Bad Blood: The Rosenwald Syphilis Study

The little-known Rosenwald Syphilis Study was a public health service experiment in 1929 that tested the effects of untreated syphilis in the human body. Thousands of African-Americans in 5 southern states, including Virginia, were unknowingly injected with syphilis. Some were given penicillin for treatment and others were left untreated. Many died from this experiment, and harmful toxins were inadvertently passed through the bloodstreams of future generations, causing them to have complications and even die. Today, we'll examine the history of perhaps the most well known example of unethical medical research through the eyes of one local woman and her realization that her family is still suffering the effects of The Rosenwald Syphilis Study.