The+Immortal+Life+of+Henrietta+Lacks

**//The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks//** Facilitator: Dr. Doering Room Assignment: Student Enrollment:

__Themes from the Reading__ 1. Medical ethics 2. Racism, segregation, and sexual discrimination 3. Cervical cancer, sexual promiscuity, STD's 4. Scientific advances made possible by HeLa research

__Possible Discussion Questions__ 1. What is your own personal perspective as you read this book? 2. Who was Henrietta Lacks? 3. Discuss the socioeconomic factors affecting the Lacks family - their culture, religion, poverty, lack of education, consanguinity, crime, fear of Hopkins. 4. Discuss how HeLa affected the Lacks family. To this day, have they benefitted from HeLa or been harmed by HeLa? 5. What are important scientific discoveries/advances attributed to HeLa? 6. How does "benevolent deception" in the past compare to informed consent today? (see consent on page 31) 7. How would Henrietta Lacks feel if she were living today? 8. If you are treated medically for free, is it fair to use you in a research project? 9. Discuss obstacles to cell culture prior to HeLa. 10. Discuss conditions of mental institutions in the 1950's - Elsie's life in Crownsville. (see page 275) 11. Once tissue is removed from your body, should you have ownership? Is it still considered human? Should you be informed as to how it is being used? 12. Are you "morally responsible" to donate your tissues to research? 13. Should people get royalties/financial compensation if they donate their tissues to science? 14. Should for-profit companies be allowed to patent cells? Genes? 15. Has commercialization of medical research interfered with science progress? 16. Should there be laws that require disclosure of possible financial gain from tissues?

__Guided Reading Questions / Questions for Understanding__