Analyze And Response.

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The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

According to Skloot (par. 1-3) states that the “Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” explores various topics including an informed contest in medicine and science, racial bias in the medical field, and Lacks’ family history. The author reveals that the minority groups, including the black community, remain the backbone of medical study and medicines have been developed from the research. However, the author emphasizes that the research by the medical team lacked moral and ethics and failed to protect her dignity by offering patient-doctor confidentiality.

After reading the book, I by the fact that the scientific and medical community failed to act ethically when treating Henrietta Lacks and her children. The treatment reflects the belief that most medical staff view themselves as more superior than their patients. Henrietta originated from the black community which faced discrimination and was viewed as the lesser beings by the white community, a fact that added to her disrespect and that of her children. The Lack’s cells remain the first immortal cells developed in the laboratory and remain the foundation for medical discoveries, including cancer medicines and vaccines in cloning, gene mapping and vitro fertilization as highlighted by (Skloot par. 3-4).

Skloot (par. 2) states that the cells were taken without Lacks and family contest. It remains unethical for the scientists to utilize Lacks’ children in their study without their knowledge and publish the medical records in addition to releasing them to press without their knowledge and consent. The scientists should have discussed the issue with the family before conducting the research and publishing the records to avoid violating the privacy rights of the family. Additionally, it remains unethical for the scientists and medics to benefit from Lacks’ study without extending the benefits to the family. The family has a right to benefit from the research because it was used for the study, which has benefited the world and many patients internationally.

According to Skloot (par. 5), the legislations governing such research were drafted in the 1970s and remain founded on the outdated belief that anonymized samples should not be contested before getting utilized in a study. Skloot (. 4) feels that the introduction of technologies including medical websites and Google Street View will introduce advancement in science and medicine at affordable rates. However, the author feels that ethically and legally, the medical and scientific fields are not for the technology. Therefore, scientist and medical staff must update the regulations because personal privacy remains important. They must review and regulate their research laws with the aim of protecting the families and people used in their study to ensure more advances and breakthroughs in science. People will trust the scientists when they treat them with the expected respect and the restoration of consent rights in the utilization of genetic information and genomes

In conclusion, the research by the medical team lacked moral and ethics and failed to protect her dignity by offering patient-doctor confidentiality. It remains unethical for the scientists to utilize Lack's children in their study without their knowledge and publish the medical records in addition to releasing them to press without their knowledge and consent. Personal privacy remains important and scientists must regulate their research, they must treat people with the expected respect and must restore consent rights and confidentiality with their patients. More so, scientist and medical staff must update the regulations because personal privacy remains important

Works Cited

BIBLIOGRAPHY \l 1033 Skloot, Rebecca. "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, the Sequel." New York Times. 2013. 7 March 2019 <https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/24/opinion/sunday/the-immortal-life-of-henrietta-lacks-the-sequel.html?pagewanted=all&>.