Human subjects--are they protected?
From the time of Hippocrates, physicians have sworn to "abstain from all intentional wrongdoing and harm," (Lifton, 1986). They are guided by ethical principles and theories that are intended to help them in their practice of medicine and scientific research. The purpose of this paper was to define research and human subjects, to review cases of abuse, address benefits and risks of human experimentation, discuss regulations governing experiments on humans, and address ethical principles and theories regarding this type of research. Human experimentation is an important activity of great societal benefit that must be conducted in a manner consistent with basic societal beliefs and values about the rights and worth of an individual (Gray, 1975). Ethical issues in human experimentation defy definite solutions, and the problems involved in human experimentation will almost certainly continue to receive active attention in future years.