Health Equity Research Resources

The HeLa case has raised questions about the legality of using genetic materials without permission. Neither Lacks nor her family granted permission to harvest her cells, which were then cloned and sold.

Can download as a PDF. This article provides a historical context for the difficult ethical and clinical issues associated with the inclusion of women and members of minority groups in clinical research.

This essay traces the history of the idea of health equity and raises questions about the translation of the concept into practice.

In 1932, the USPHS, working with the Tuskegee Institute, began a study to record the natural history of syphilis. The study initially involved 600 Black men – 399 with syphilis, 201 who did not have the disease. Participants’ informed consent was not collected.

This article discusses the need for greater clarity about the concepts of health disparities and health equity, proposes definitions, and explains the rationale based on principles from the fields of ethics and human rights.