Today, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius apologized for inhumane actions that the U.S. Public Health Service took in the 1940s. From 1946-1948, the United States infected prisoners and mental patients in Guatemala with the Syphilis STD in order to do testing.

The testing was done, mostly to determine whether the antibiotic penicillin could prevent the infections. The subjects of the study were infected by having visits with already infected prostitutes. The subjects were then encouraged to spread the disease to others.

Susan M. Reverby is the woman who had discovered these cruel and inhumane acts by the United States. She has posted her reports on her website at http://www.wellesley.edu/WomenSt/fac_reverby.html. She is currently a professor of women’s studies at Wellesley College which is located in Massachusetts.

The statement released by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Human Services Secretary, and other government officials says the following:

“The sexually transmitted disease inoculation study conducted from 1946-1948 in Guatemala was clearly unethical. Although these events occurred more than 64 years ago, we are outraged that such reprehensible research could have occurred under the guise of public health. We deeply regret that it happened, and we apologize to all the individuals who were affected by such abhorrent research practices.”

According to reports, approximately 30% of the subjects that were infected with syphilis were not treated and cured.

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease that is caused by the spirochetal bacterium, Treponema pallidum. There are other ways of contracting syphilis, but the easiest and most common way is through sexual contact & intercourse. Penicillin has been shown to treat syphilis effectively, but if it is left untreated, it can cause heart damage, as well as damage to the brain, aorta, bones and eyes. It can even be fatal in some cases if not treated properly.