ETHICALLY IMPOSSIBLE” STD Research in Guatemala from 1946-1948 
inoculations with infectious material, between May 1947 and September 
1948. 430 Only 92 of the 219 people exposed received some form of treat- 
ment. 431 In contrast to the experiments with soldiers and psychiatric patients, 
the prisoners were exposed to commercial sex workers and artificial inocula- 
tion with relatively less invasive injection methods. 432 
Prison inmates were viewed as an isolated population that could be used for 
“normal exposure” to STDs (i.e., sexual intercourse). There is no record of the 
men in the Penitentiary either consenting to be involved in an experiment 
or understanding that an experiment was taking place. Moreover, evidence 
suggests that some prisoners objected to participation. As Dr. Cutler later 
explained, “relationships between prisoners and experimenters” made it 
impossible to secure serum from dry lesions due to the prisoners’ “strenuous 
objection to the pain.” 433 
A large portion of the prison population consisted of indigenous Guatema- 
lans, referred to in correspondence as “Indians.” Writing to Dr. Arnold about 
this group shortly after he arrived in August 1946, Dr. Cutler relayed Dr. 
Spoto’s view that the experiments need not be explained to the “Indians.” 434 
“Likewise,” Dr. Cutler continued, “our payment for the males will be consid- 
erably less than we had originally planned.” 435 Still, the researchers undertook 
various methods to deceive the prisoners about their research aims during, 
and possibly after, the experiments. In January 1947, Dr. Cutler advised Dr. 
Mahoney of several steps planned with “all concerned” to “allay fears and 
suspicions” about the research: 
“So far as the work in the prison goes, it appears that it will have 
to be carried out as a scheme of prophylaxis for everyone, using 
a placebo where indicated. To increase the number of exposures 
we shall bring in the sourcs [sic] of infection [the commercial 
sex workers] as indicated along with some not infected so as to 
allay fears and suspicion. In that way, we shall be able to avoid 
political repercussions which are even now in the air as the papers 
are complaining about conditions in the prison now. It is quite 
probable that we shall pay the men either nothing or a pack of 
cigarettes or some soap or other items for each extraction of blood. 
We have had many conferences about this matter and the scheme 
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