Modern Ethics of Human Research

My article, "Ethics and non biomedical research with human subjects", by Samia Hurst is a short article about ethics comittees in Switzerland and how they are not present in scientific experiments outside the biomedical domain. I chose this article because I thought is was interesting how another country deals with ethical science. I would like to note in the article the author mentions that had the research on assisted suicide on those with PTSD and how if it were done in a university setting it would be different, "Had this study been conducted by researchers situated in a Medical School, it would have required independent review by an ethics committee."(Hurst). I wonder that if George Gey was put under an ethics comittee both then or now if anything would have been different. 

Hurst, S. “Ethics and Non Biomedical Research with Human Subjects.” Swiss Medical Weekly (2011): n. pag. CrossRef. Web. 22 Oct. 2014.

Biopsy

I don't think that you should have to re-consent for what their tissue is used for after all they could probably care less about what anybody tests on it, however the patient should receive some funds for their minor contribution in science. This could lead to problems because others who donated, but whose cells died off in the study, would want some kind of compensation for their cells too. If a donor would be contacted we have things like phones and email so it wouldn't be too hard to find them. When applied to Henrietta's time she wouldn't have been contacted for what her cells have done and would never have been paid for the use of her cells because of white privilege back then. Things like segregation, jim crow laws and ignorance would have kept all of the things above from happening.

Quote

I think that the taking of patients cells as a form of payment is extremely unethical. For a doctor to believe that taking the cells from a living patient and not compensating them is extremely unfair and possibly illegal. Henrietta didn't even know that they had taken her cells, which were scientifically revolutionary, could have gotten the family millions if they had been asked for the cells instead of them being stolen. If a consent form with a clause saying they could take them had been included maybe this would be a lot less troubling.

Life's Value

I think that while we are alive our bodies are priceless and that we should take care of them the best we can. When we die though our bodies specifically our organs are worth something. The  cost of a liver transplant is in the 500,000's of dollars and a kidney transplant is 260,000$. Considering this I would say that not all bodies are equally valuable because a healthier organ would be worth more more. At least this is my own opinion of course.