On July 25, 1972, the U.S. government admitted to the existence of the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment, a medical study that began in 1932. In this experiment, the U.S. Public Health Service studied the natural progression of syphilis in African American men in Tuskegee, Alabama, without informing them of their diagnosis or providing treatment, even after penicillin became the standard and effective treatment for the disease in the 1940s. The study continued for 40 years, with participants denied proper medical care, and it was only publicly revealed in 1972, leading to outrage and significant changes in medical ethics.

In response to this scandal, the U.S. government implemented stronger regulations on human medical research, including informed consent, and established new ethical standards. The Tuskegee study is one of the most infamous examples of medical exploitation and remains a critical chapter in the history of medical ethics and African American distrust of the healthcare system.