History of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (Infections)
Because sexually transmitted diseases have likely existed for all of human history, and to this day are underreported due to social stigma, the development of a succinct yet cogent history of them is exceedingly difficult.
The category of diseases now referred to as sexually transmitted infections (STI) has changed throughout human history, and has been known by the names sexually transmitted disease (STD), and venereal disease (VD). There is mention of STIs in ancient texts ranging from the Romans and Greeks, to depictions of infections in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt [1]. It is hypothesized, and supported through computer modeling that STIs was the impetus for humans adopting monogamy around the time of the dawn of agriculture (Fig 1) [2]. This would imply that STIs have been impacting human health at least as far back as 10,000 years ago but up to 23,000 years ago [3]. Before the advent of germ theory in 1546 and its acceptance in the 1800’s, there was nothing known about the microbial cause of the diseases, or often times a differentiation between them. The only thing that was known was they seemed to spread via sexual contact. The lack of specificity makes concrete determination of earliest STIs difficult, but descriptions by Mesopotamian scholars are consistent with gonorrhea, chlamydia and Trichomonas vaginalis (trich) [1].
Throughout history there have been numerous outbreaks of STIs throughout the world. In times preceding antibiotic drugs and other modern treatment methods, treatment was marginally successful, and often times seems strange to our modern sensibilities. Gonorrhea is nicknamed the “clap”, and there are a number of explanations of this pseudonym’s origin. One hypothesis is because the recommended treatment at one time involved slamming a heavy book on the penis to force out the accompanying discharge [4]. In the 1400’s and 1500’s syphilis and other STIs were treated by rubbing or fumigating the genitals with mercury-containing compounds. The treatments were not effective, and resulted in many deaths due to mercury poisoning [5].
There is much debate about the geographical origin of many STIs, but two of the oldest and most common STIs, gonorrhea and syphilis came to humans from livestock, possibly sexually [6]. Many historical documents speak of high numbers of STIs among soldiers who transmitted some diseases to new places, and brought other novel diseases home after their conquests. Many times when a new disease was introduced it was named after the enemy or country they thought responsible for it. At different times and in different places, syphilis was known as ‘Neapolitan disease’, ‘disease of Naples’ ‘Spanish disease’, ‘French disease’, ‘Gallic disease’, ‘French pox’, ‘French evil’, ‘Polish disease’, ‘Turkish disease’, ‘Christian disease’, ‘British disease’, ‘Portuguese disease’, ‘Chinese pox’, and the ‘Persian fire’ [5]. There is a long-running debate about Christopher Columbus’s role in the spread of syphilis, but the most recent research suggests that he and his crew did indeed bring syphilis to Europe from the Americas [7].
The category of diseases now referred to as sexually transmitted infections (STI) has changed throughout human history, and has been known by the names sexually transmitted disease (STD), and venereal disease (VD). There is mention of STIs in ancient texts ranging from the Romans and Greeks, to depictions of infections in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt [1]. It is hypothesized, and supported through computer modeling that STIs was the impetus for humans adopting monogamy around the time of the dawn of agriculture (Fig 1) [2]. This would imply that STIs have been impacting human health at least as far back as 10,000 years ago but up to 23,000 years ago [3]. Before the advent of germ theory in 1546 and its acceptance in the 1800’s, there was nothing known about the microbial cause of the diseases, or often times a differentiation between them. The only thing that was known was they seemed to spread via sexual contact. The lack of specificity makes concrete determination of earliest STIs difficult, but descriptions by Mesopotamian scholars are consistent with gonorrhea, chlamydia and Trichomonas vaginalis (trich) [1].
Throughout history there have been numerous outbreaks of STIs throughout the world. In times preceding antibiotic drugs and other modern treatment methods, treatment was marginally successful, and often times seems strange to our modern sensibilities. Gonorrhea is nicknamed the “clap”, and there are a number of explanations of this pseudonym’s origin. One hypothesis is because the recommended treatment at one time involved slamming a heavy book on the penis to force out the accompanying discharge [4]. In the 1400’s and 1500’s syphilis and other STIs were treated by rubbing or fumigating the genitals with mercury-containing compounds. The treatments were not effective, and resulted in many deaths due to mercury poisoning [5].
There is much debate about the geographical origin of many STIs, but two of the oldest and most common STIs, gonorrhea and syphilis came to humans from livestock, possibly sexually [6]. Many historical documents speak of high numbers of STIs among soldiers who transmitted some diseases to new places, and brought other novel diseases home after their conquests. Many times when a new disease was introduced it was named after the enemy or country they thought responsible for it. At different times and in different places, syphilis was known as ‘Neapolitan disease’, ‘disease of Naples’ ‘Spanish disease’, ‘French disease’, ‘Gallic disease’, ‘French pox’, ‘French evil’, ‘Polish disease’, ‘Turkish disease’, ‘Christian disease’, ‘British disease’, ‘Portuguese disease’, ‘Chinese pox’, and the ‘Persian fire’ [5]. There is a long-running debate about Christopher Columbus’s role in the spread of syphilis, but the most recent research suggests that he and his crew did indeed bring syphilis to Europe from the Americas [7].
References
1. Gruber, F., Lipozenčić, J., Kehler, T. History of venereal diseases from antiquity to the renaissance. Acta Dermatovenerol Croat. 23, 1-11 (2015).
2. Bauch, C.T., & McElreath, R. Disease dynamics and costly punishment can foster socially imposed monogamy. Nature Communications. 7, 11219 (2016).
3. Snir, A. et al. The origin of cultivation and proto-weeds, long before neolithic farming. PLOS ONE. 10, e0131422 (2015).
4. Gonorrhea and the Clap: The Slap Down Treatment. By Daniel Lende, September 17, 2010, PLOS blogs.
5. Firth, J. Syphilis - its early history and treatment until penicillin, and the debate on its origins. Journal of Military and Veterans’ Health. 20, 49-58 (2012).
6. Lafsky, M. How often do animals get STDs? Discover. (2008). at http://discovermagazine.com/2008/sep/09-how-often-do-animals-get-stds (accessed 24 February 2018).
7. Stein, L. Did Columbus bring syphilis to Europe? Scientific American. (2008). at https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/did-columbus-bring-syphilis-to-europe/ (accessed 24 February 2018).
2. Bauch, C.T., & McElreath, R. Disease dynamics and costly punishment can foster socially imposed monogamy. Nature Communications. 7, 11219 (2016).
3. Snir, A. et al. The origin of cultivation and proto-weeds, long before neolithic farming. PLOS ONE. 10, e0131422 (2015).
4. Gonorrhea and the Clap: The Slap Down Treatment. By Daniel Lende, September 17, 2010, PLOS blogs.
5. Firth, J. Syphilis - its early history and treatment until penicillin, and the debate on its origins. Journal of Military and Veterans’ Health. 20, 49-58 (2012).
6. Lafsky, M. How often do animals get STDs? Discover. (2008). at http://discovermagazine.com/2008/sep/09-how-often-do-animals-get-stds (accessed 24 February 2018).
7. Stein, L. Did Columbus bring syphilis to Europe? Scientific American. (2008). at https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/did-columbus-bring-syphilis-to-europe/ (accessed 24 February 2018).