“ETHICALLY IMPOSSIBLE” STD Research in Guatemala from 1946-1948 
A fter leaving Guatemala, Dr. Cutler joined a World Health Organization 
(WHO) Disease Demonstration Team and moved to India. From April 
1949 to July 1950, the team worked to establish a “venereal-disease control 
demonstration” in various parts of the country and teach advanced methods 
of control for STDs. 632 Over the next several years, while continuing to serve 
as a PHS officer and earning a master’s degree in public health from Johns 
Hopkins University at the same time, Dr. Cutler prepared his final reports 
on the STD studies in Guatemala. 633 The Chancroid Experiment report is 
undated, but Dr. Cutler sent this document to the Director of the VDRL 
in Chamblee, Georgia, in September 1952. Dr. Cutler asked the Direc- 
tor to keep the report confidential. 634 Dr. Cutler’s Experimental Studies in 
Gonorrhea report is dated October 1952. He marked it as “SECRET-CON- 
FIDENTIAL” and edited out identifying details. 635 The Final Syphilis Report 
is dated November 1955. No evidence shows that the syphilis or ghonorrhea 
reports were provided to anyone. 636 
While the results of the serological experiments were published in several 
different articles, 637 and the intentional exposure experiments were referred 
to indirectly in later publications, 638 the Commission found no evidence 
that Dr. Cutler’s final reports or the results of the exposure and prophylaxis 
experiments were submitted for peer review or published. There are several 
published examples in which Dr. Cutler discusses data from these experi- 
ments but misleadingly cites another published study. In these cases, the 
published study cited does not actually support the data presented. 639 In addi- 
tion, the Guatemala experiments are notably absent from historical reviews of 
STD research authored by the researchers. 640 
An enormous amount of money, time, and effort went into the Guatemala 
experiments, and the exact motivations for hiding the results is unclear, 
particularly because the VDRL researchers published widely on their research 
activities, including other STD intentional inoculation experiments during 
the time and the serology results from Guatemala. 641 
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