Obstacles

The synopsis of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks illustrates the true importance of teaching people about bioethics.  This story delves deep into questioning all that the medical field does to help the human race.  However, questions must be asked while relying on others to help us survive and maintain health.  If we receive treatment from professional without gaining adequate information, we are risking our wellbeing.  Also, we are not exercising control of our own bodies.  When receiving a treatment or prescription, why shouldn’t we question what is going on.  Why not ask, “what is this doing for me, and at what cost?”

Doctors are consulted on a daily basis for many different reasons; there are routine check-ups, surgeries, eye appointments, and physical therapy visits just to name a few.  However, if we really look into the story of Henrietta Lacks' life, we begin to question the ethics of every health care professional we have ever met. 

When Rebecca Skloot wrote this book she only thought of education.  Her goal was to educate people about the ethics that surround the practice of medicine in our country.  However, being a medical writer, she mad to change her tactics of writing to allow the public to understand what she wrote.  By changing her terminology from medical jargon to looser phrasing, she was able to capture a wider audience and thus gained the ability to educate a much larger portion of readers.

I do not foresee any challenges while reading this book other than some parts may be slightly graphic.  Graphic could mean racist, sexual, vulgar, or taboo to some people.  However, as we are a relatively small class session and do not have much diversity, I feel as if the class will be ok reading this book. I don't have a problem with medically graphic content in reading because I want to be a surgeon in the future (don't worry, I will be very ethical), but can see how that could pose a problem for some readers.

Feel free to comment, stay tuned for the next post, and remember, I welcome controversy.