Name: When the United States Experimented with Syphilis in Guatemala
Uploaded: 2022-06-15T21:30:07+00:00
Duration: 13 min 31 s
Description: The year was 1946. World War II had just come to a close, and US soldiers were finally returning home from the Pacific and European theatres. But there was one problem: many US soldiers had contracted

3 years ago

The year was 1946. World War II had just come to a close, and US soldiers were finally returning home from the Pacific and European theatres.

But there was one problem: many US soldiers had contracted STDs while fighting overseas, and this represented a serious problem not only for the military, but also the civilian population as a whole.

In fact, by 1947 it was estimated that approximately 350,000 soldiers were infected with venereal diseases, representing the neutralization of two entire armed divisions and $34 million in losses – or $438 million in today’s money.

The United States urgently needed to find effective treatments for venereal diseases like syphillis, and their solution was simple: Experiment on innocent Guatemalan citizens, purposely infecting them with syphilis without their consent.

But how could the United States possibly get away with such a crime? How was this even legal? Perhaps most importantly, why was taxpayer money used to carry out such unethical experiments?