The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Essay Example Lacks died of cancer but her cells live on. Henrietta Lacks’s story holds great importance because of the fact that there are several ethical issues that raises concern. The ethical issues raised in those times, exist even today in some places; however there are certain legal procedures and laws that lay down guideline for the ethics to be followed by researchers. The first ethical issue that comes to my mind is that of â€Å"confidentiality†. The ethical issue of confidentiality in research means that the identity, privacy and all information about the patient must be treated as highly confidential in nature. The identity of people being used for a particular research or study should never be revealed. It is the researcher’s responsibility to protect the identity. However, in Lack’s case, confidentiality was not maintained. The researchers did not reveal only her name but also revealed her race to the world. In those times, there were no binding laws that called for confidentiality on part of the researchers. Today, it is mandatory for researchers using human tissues to respect the privacy of the subjects and safeguard their identity. One of the most popular to keep things confidential is the use of pseudonymisation or use a code in place of real identification of the human subjects (Kalra et al, 2006) The next ethical issue worth that I would like to discuss is that of â€Å"informed consent†. Human tissues and cells are of great importance to the research world however these tissues and cells need to be procured from people with appropriate consent. People have the right to know how their cells are being used for research. In Henrietta’s case, she was not informed about her doctor’s decision of tumorous cell extraction. She was not even asked for consent. In the 1950’s, issues about informed consent was still in infancy stages, so Dr.Gey was not compelled in any way to ask Henrietta Lacks’s consent for

A Comparative Analysis of the Foreign Policy Process between France Essay

A Comparative Analysis of the Foreign Policy Process between France and Germany - Essay Example As observed by Philip Gordon, â€Å"Franco-German military cooperation in the postwar period seems to have taken place despite important differences in perspective between the two countries, not because of a fundamental rapprochement of views† (Krotz, 2001, p. 3). He added that â€Å"at both public and elite levels, French and German attitudes toward security and defence were highly different† (Krotz, 2001, p. 3). However, as stated, France and Germany, despite of their different approaches to foreign policy were able to build an alliance and become a major force in the European Union (EU). This essay analyses the similarities and differences between the foreign policy process in France and Germany. Comparing and Contrasting French and German Foreign Policy In analysing the specific similarities and differences between the foreign policies of France and Germany, it is important to take into account the historical foundation of the Franco-German relations. The assumption that a strong diplomacy in Europe should be based on compromise between France and Germany is firmly embraced throughout the German political community. The ‘rapprochement’—reconciliation—between Germany and France was established in 1963 through the Elysee Treaty (McCarthy, 2001, p. 118). Nevertheless, contrary to their strong alliance in the economic sector, a strong cooperation has been problematic in the security and defence arena. The Franco-German relationship throughout the Cold War was mainly rooted in the effort of Germany to discreetly take part in security and foreign policy, which allowed France to control the arrangement. The eastward territorial expansion and reunification of Germany thus brought about a level of apprehension in France that Germany would reassess their alliance, specifically when dealing with the objectives and interests