The Syphilis Pandemic Prior to Penicillin: Origin, Health Issues, Cultural Representation and Ethical Challenges

Syphilis is currently a treatable disease, with a low incidence in most developed countries, although the prevalence has increased recently, especially among men-who-have-sex-with-men. In many of the least developed countries, however, syphilis is still a major health problem, although the problem i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Acta dermato-venereologica 2024-03, Vol.104, p.adv34879-adv34879
Main Authors: Ekselius, Lisa, Gerdin, Bengt, Vahlquist, Anders
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ethics
History of Medicine
Homosexuality, Male
Humans
Invited Historical Review
Male
Medical
Medicine in the Arts
Pandemics
Penicillins - adverse effects
Sexual and Gender Minorities
Syphilis
Syphilis - diagnosis
Syphilis - drug therapy
Syphilis - epidemiology
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Summary:Syphilis is currently a treatable disease, with a low incidence in most developed countries, although the prevalence has increased recently, especially among men-who-have-sex-with-men. In many of the least developed countries, however, syphilis is still a major health problem, although the problem is not comparable to the desperate situation worldwide less than 80 years ago. At that time, and for many centuries previously, syphilis dramatically affected the lives and health of individuals and threatened the well-being of many societies. This review examines the aetiology, transmission, and many manifestations of syphilis from a historical perspective, emphasizing morbidity, treatment, psychosocial and cultural manifestations, as well as ethical issues uncovered in the clinical search for knowledge about the manifestations of the disease.
ISSN:0001-5555
1651-2057
1651-2057
DOI:10.2340/actadv.v104.34879