Race, Medicine, & Society - March 27, 2018
Part 1 of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Discussion Questions:
- What do we learn about Henrietta’s life and the world she grew up in and medicine in the moment?
- How much is this book about race and racialization?
- What do we think about Rebecca in the book? She makes herself a character in the book
- How do we think about this in relation to the Tuskegee study?
- Why is Henrietta’s family included in the book?
Medical care impacted by racist assumptions
-assumption of syphilis even though it was cancer
Challenges for minorities:
- Took longer to get care
- Got less medicine
- Treatment itself was worse
- Doctors not believing symptoms
Henrietta’s doctors radical shift of their diagnosis within
3 weeks (everything is fine to you have cancer and we can’t do much for you)
explains physicians’ distrust that colored patients will follow through with treatment
3 weeks (everything is fine to you have cancer and we can’t do much for you)
explains physicians’ distrust that colored patients will follow through with treatment
Henrietta might not have understood her sicknesses or the need for
medical care, meanwhile the doctor would think that she was lazy and
disrespecting the medical system. Lack of communication between physician and
patient and lack of explanation of illnesses for Henrietta
medical care, meanwhile the doctor would think that she was lazy and
disrespecting the medical system. Lack of communication between physician and
patient and lack of explanation of illnesses for Henrietta
Maybe Henrietta was acting rebellious towards the doctors
Lacks family didn’t receive any benefits despite Henrietta’s cells being used in science and contributing profoundly
-ironic because family didn’t have the money to get medical care, meanwhile
Henrietta’s cells were making major contributions in the field of medicine
Henrietta’s cells were making major contributions in the field of medicine
Denial of treatment because it would interfere with Henrietta’s mother role and ability to have children
Reproductive rights of black women managed by whites during 20th century
Two Main Issues:
Cells taken without consent
What the cells went on to do & family not rewarded
Economic Exploitation
Henrietta gave consent for cells to be used but never agreed to research & mass production
- Ties into level of education
- Consent mainly given for operation she needed for her cancer
Why is Henrietta’s family in the book?
Words:
Biopolitics - differences between groups (Examples: ratio of births and deaths,
rate of reproduction, fertility of a population) (Wiki - Biopolitics)
rate of reproduction, fertility of a population) (Wiki - Biopolitics)
Biopower - having power over other bodies
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