Few know that some of the scientific advances which we now take for granted came at a high and terrible cost. To fully comprehend the sacrifice that should never be repeated again, we need to learn about and pay tribute to those who had to endure inhuman treatment in the name of “medical research.”
The work of Dr. Deirdre Cooper Owens made an invaluable contribution to understanding the subject in the case of the history of American gynecology. As it turned out, modern gynecology–a seemingly familiar medical practice–carried deep, dark secrets of its own.
For a long time, unethical methods had been used in the course of its development. Enslaved and poor women had been exploited in medical experimentation for the research of female anatomy.
Unfortunately, racial, gender and class discrimination in healthcare is not yet history. To eliminate it, we need to be aware of the problem and be ready to stand up to it for ourselves and many others suffering from it.
All humans are born free and equal in their rights!