Did Henrietta Lacks Consent?

Henrietta's cells (more commonly known as HeLa cells), were taken without her consent when she was being treated for cervical cancer and were considered to be immortal; unlike most other cells, they lived and grew continuously in culture.

How is informed consent related to Henrietta Lacks?

Researchers today follow a much stricter standard than what was in place in Henrietta Lacks' day, requiring them to get a patient's informed consent before taking identifiable samples to use in research. Once researchers have consent, they can use those samples, so long as they protect the patient's privacy.

Did Henrietta Lacks have informed consent?

In the 1950s, when Henrietta Lacks was hospitalized, there were no established practices for informing or obtaining consent from patients when retrieving cell or tissue samples for research purposes, nor were there any regulations on the use of patients' cells in research.