Peter Buxtun

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Peter Buxtun (sometimes referred to as Peter Buxton) is a former employee of the United States Public Health Service who became known as the whistleblower responsible for ending the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment.

Buxtun, then a 27-year-old social worker and epidemiologist in San Francisco,[1] was hired by the Public Health Service in December 1965[2] to interview patients with sexually-transmitted diseases; in the course of his duties, he learned of the Tuskegee Experiment from co-workers. He later said—"I didn't want to believe it. This was the Public Health Service. We didn't do things like that."[1] In November 1966, he filed an official protest on ethical grounds with the Service's Division of Venereal Diseases; this was rejected on the grounds that the Experiment was not yet complete. He filed another protest in November 1968; again, his concerns were ruled irrelevant.[3]

In 1972, Buxtun leaked information on the Tuskegee Experiment to Jean Heller of the Washington Star. Heller's story exposing the Experiment was published on July 25, 1972; the Experiment was terminated shortly thereafter.[4] Buxtun subsequently testified at the ensuing Congressional hearing.

In May 1999, Buxtun attended the launch of a memorial center and public exhibit to the experiment in Tuskegee.[5]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Heller, Jean. "The legacy of Tuskegee", St Petersburg Times, July 20, 1997, p. 1D. 
  2. ^ Rubin, Allen; Babbie, Earl R. (2005). Research Methods for Social Work. Thomson Wadsworth, 70. 
  3. ^ Thomas, Stephen B., PhD; Quinn, Sandra Crouse, MEd (November 1991). "The Tuskegee Syphilis Study, 1932 to 1972: Implications for HIV Education and AIDS Risk Education Programs in the Black Community". American Journal of Public Health 81 (11): 1498–1505. American Public Health Association. ISSN 1541-0448. 
  4. ^ Stryker, Jeff. "Tuskegee's long arm still touches a nerve", New York Times, 13 April 1997, p. 4. 
  5. ^ "Center launched as training tool", Associated Press, May 17, 1999.