At the time of this publication, it will have been 81 years since the Tuskegee Syphilis Study began in Tuskegee, Alabama and 41 years since it was terminated. Although egregious physical, mental, and emotional research abuses like those that occurred at the hands of the Public Health Service (PHS) have been outlawed, many individuals remain skeptical of research. The Tuskegee Syphilis Study, in particular, is often referenced as a reason for why self-identified African-Americans are wary of participating in biomedical research. The legacy of the PHS study remains indelible in the minds of many as one of the most infamous biomedical research studies. What will research participants remember about their participation in genetic research 50 years from today?
