Was everyone involved fully aware of and did they agree to be part of all aspects of the research?

No, everyone was not aware of the scope of reasearch including Henrietta. The dehumanization of Henrietta is one of the central themes and storylines of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. From the moment the Geys discover the incredible ability of Henrietta’s cells, those cells take center stage, and the human whom they originated from is reduced to nothing more than a source. Neither the scientists who first packaged Henrietta’s cells, nor the thousands of scientists and doctors who would later use her cells for groundbreaking research and medical discoveries, thought about their human source. Henrietta ceased being a young, Black mother of five, and instead became the source of a cell line that had the potential to change the world Henrietta was not aware of how her body was being used.