Reader with a Cause discussion

When Henrietta Lacks entered the hospital for treatment, she signed a form, “Operation Permit,” that said, “I hereby give consent to the staff of The Johns Hopkins Hospital to perform any operative procedures and under any anaesthetic either local or general that they may deem necessary in the proper surgical care and treatment of: _____” (on which Henrietta printed her name). (31)

Some have argued that by signing this form, Henrietta consented to all services performed on her, including the biopsy that took the cells that eventually became HeLa. However, we would argue that this form does not pass the threshold for informed consent. (Learn more here: https://www.techsafety.org/waivers-at...)

We would also argue, as Rebecca Skloot did, that Henrietta is a product of her time - a time in which patients, particularly people of color, “deferred to anything [their] doctors said.” (63) Even if she had been properly informed, she may not have had the power to consent.

What do you think?

I strongly believe that the medical professionals took advantage of Henrietta Lacks because of race, education level, and poverty. While I wish this had changed since Henrietta Lack's, I don't think it has. People have access to more information via the internet but don't always understand what it means. Plus information on the internet isn't always accurate. How many times have we just been handed a piece of paper at the doctor to sign without fully understanding what it means?

Lastly, in the US, fewer and fewer people are receiving medical training to become doctors and this can mean overworked medical professionals just bouncing from patient to patient, which may cause individuals to feel more pressured to sign off on procedures without understanding the short- and long-term effects. I also believe that where you live has a HUGE impact on the medical care you receive with fewer physicians and resources available in low-income communities. GOOD medical care is far from being accessible, affordable, beneficial, or equal.