The Movie “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks”

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Discussion
Conclusion
References

Introduction

The events that transpire in the movie The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks can be analyzed based on ethical research principles, social justice, and health inequities. Hela’s cells being used in donation raises concerns about the aspects of ethics and privacy in research, who, from the book, is a poor black woman (Lyapun et al., 2019).

Discussion

Although she died of cervical cancer at a very tender age, it is her immortal cells that lived on and would be used for donation purposes. Hela’s cells were reproducing at an incredible rate, and long after her demise, scientists worldwide still grew the cells (Wolfe, 2017). The ethics of informed consent issue arises because they waited for Hela to die and took the cells for growing and donation. As much as her cells have been key to saving numerous lives, it does not erase the fact that she was not informed of the intentions, contrary to the ethical principles in science.

Health inequities are evident in the book, where Henrietta’s family has been unable to afford consistent health insurance since HeLa cells were discovered. Until her demise due to cervical cancer, she was a poor tobacco farmer and mother to five children, showing her socioeconomic status (Wolinetz & Collins, 2020). Despite the cells being bought and sold for immense profit, Henrietta’s family could not afford health insurance even though they suffered from chronic illnesses. Her family cannot cater for health insurance because of their socioeconomic status, which indicates the health inequities present in society (Wolfe, 2017). These were perpetuated even when Henrietta died because of her poverty status as a tobacco farmer who could not afford cervical cancer treatment. It reflects the modern society where inequities exist in affordability and access to health facilities.

The principles of ethics can be applied in the film’s events from her family members not knowing that the cells exist. After the death of Henrietta in 1951, her immortal cells were taken to the laboratories even without the knowledge of her family members. It was not until 20 years later, in 1971, when they were made aware that they existed after so many profits were made. This adds to the fact that the cells were drawn without the informed consent of both HeLa and her family members, which is contrary to the science ethics principles. They represent the ethical tradeoffs that the scientific community has to grapple with when pursuing the common good, as it also signaled a turning point (Wolfe, 2017). It reveals an opportunity for the public to voice concerns and appropriate demand measures that ought to be taken to fix past mistakes. The best practice would be to let the family know about the derivation of the cells and subsequent utilization in saving lives.

Conclusion

The aspect of racism can be seen in the film as Henrietta was an African-American woman whom the researchers were not keen on informing her of the intent to use the cells. When racism was at its peak, it was evident that the researchers did not see the need for her informed consent in deriving her cells. This explains why they did not confide in the family, as it was not perceived as important for them to know the conspiracy behind their actions (Wolfe, 2017). Their sustained poverty and health inequities also showcase racial disparities in availing health and related outcomes in America.

References

Lyapun, I. N., Andryukov, B. G., & Bynina, M. P. (2019). HeLa cell culture: Immortal heritage of henrietta lacks. Molecular Genetics, Microbiology and Virology, 34(4), 195-200. Web.

Wolfe, G. (2017). NEW: The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks trailer [Video]. YouTube. Web.

Wolinetz, C. D., & Collins, F. S. (2020). Recognition of research participants’ need for autonomy: Remembering the legacy of Henrietta Lacks. Jama, 324(11), 1027-1028. Web.

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The Movie “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks”

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