The Oslo study of untreated syphilis is the Scandinavian study that was a precursor to the Tuskegee experiment. The Oslo study of untreated syphilis was done in Norway. The study intended to learn the natural history of syphilis when it goes untreated. The study lasted for twenty years, between 1891 and 1910. Participants were hospitalized as a way of protecting the community from infection until there were no signs of the disease. The study revealed the outcome of syphilis when untreated. The study has been the basis of prognostic statements about syphilis for about a quarter a century. The study had 2,000 participants, 473 of the participants were not given treatment. The participants that were not given medication were then tracked to study how untreated syphilis progressed in them. The Oslo study of untreated syphilis ultimate goal was to provide information about the natural progress (course) of syphilis with regard to as many indices as the material could allow (Gjestland, 1955).
Boeck-Bruusgaard was the principal investigator of the Oslo study of untreated syphilis. Over 2,000 participants took part in the study. Out of the 2,000 participants, 1527 received treatment by Salvarsan whereas 473 participants did not receive treatment. All the participants were Caucasians. The participants had primary and secondary syphilis. It was established that mortality in males due to syphilis was twice that of females. Syphilis was the second most common cause of death in males and the fifth most common cause of death in females among the participants who were not treated.
It was established that about 65% of syphilis patients went through life with minimal inconvenience despite having not received treatment. 23.6% of patients experienced clinical secondary collapse five years after being discharged from hospital. Mild late syphilis occurred in 14% of males and 17% of females and it was observed during the first year of the patients’ discharge and last observed in the sixth year of the patient’s discharge. 14% of males and 8% of females exhibited cardiovascular syphilis. No case of cardiovascular syphilis was observed in individuals who were infected by syphilis before the age of 15. There was development of neurosyphilis in individuals who were infected with syphilis before 15 years of age but there was no development of neurosyphilis in individuals who were infected with syphilis after 40 years of age (Gjestland, 1955).
The Oslo study of untreated syphilis was different from the Tuskegee experiment. The Oslo study was a retrospective study whereas the Tuskegee study was a prospective study. In the Oslo study, Caucasian participants were used whereas in the Tuskegee experiment, African- American participants were used. The Oslo study purposed to provide information about the natural progress of syphilis, the original Tuskegee experiment on the other side intended to study pathological changes that are associated with syphilis. The Oslo study had 2,000 participants whereas the Tuskegee experiment had 600 participants. The Oslo study lasted for twenty years between 1891 and 1910 whereas the Tuskegee experiment lasted for forty years, between 1932 and 1972.
In the Oslo study, at the end of the study all participants received treatment for syphilis; 1527 participants received earlier and the remaining 473 participants received treatment later, at the end of the study. On the other hand, in the Tuskegee study, none of the participants received treatment for syphilis. Results of the Oslo study were published whereas results of the Tuskegee experiment were concealed.
