Final answer:
The Tuskegee Syphilis Study involved the unethical medical experimentation on African American men, misleading them about receiving treatment for syphilis, and significantly impacting trust in healthcare.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer to the question is A. Tuskegee Syphilis Study. This forty-year study began in 1932 in Macon County, Alabama, and included 600 African American men. Sadly, the 399 men who had syphilis were not treated, even after penicillin, the cure for syphilis, became widely available in the 1940s. Researchers misled the participants into believing they were receiving medical treatment for 'bad blood,' a vague term for various illnesses. The deceit went on for decades, with the men unknowingly spreading the disease to others. The unethical nature of this study led to national outrage and significant changes in research ethics and regulations. It is a prominent example of medical exploitation and racism and has had a lasting impact on trust in healthcare within African American communities.