Social history of venereal disease

Running head: Social history of venereal diseases
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SOCIAL HISTORY OF VENEREAL DISEASES
INTRODUCTION
Venereal diseases refer to the virus transmitted to humans or animals by means of human sexual behavior like vaginal intercourse, anal sex and oral sex. They are also known as sexually transmitted disease (STD). The history of venereal diseases has been a key concern to the people of America and has concentrated on a set of social and cultural values related to gender, sexuality, class and ethnicity. At the bottom of the efforts to combat the diseases, there have been varying opinions towards the same as view venereal diseases as a punishment for sexual misbehavior and high level of social decay. As a result, the tension between medical and moral approaches has been a hindrance to the development of drugs that would rid of the disease referred to as “magic bullets” as well as effective policies and measures in controlling the spread of these infectious diseases (Brandt, 1987).
THE SPREAD OF VENEREAL DISEASES
There is a controversial feeling on the way the book addresses the spread of the venereal diseases. During the twentieth century, doctors, social reformers, the government, educators and the media were concerned about the spread of diseases. They thus came out strongly warning the adolescents about the diseases, but gave little attention to children especially girls who were presumed to be protected from sexual predators and also not sexually active. However, the perception suddenly changed when doctors no longer relied on medical research. They rather conformed their assumptions on the type of men they realized were capable of sexually abusing and molesting children (Brandt, 1987).
According to the book there was a clear thought and belief that the spread of these diseases was popularly associated with adults during the growth of cities in the United States. The arrival of new immigrants groups whose sexual behaviors’ were weird was suspected to be the major cause. At that time, the common venereal diseases were syphilis and gonorrhea. Although they did not have an effective cure till in the 1940’s when penicillin was discovered by researchers. With the discovery of antibiotics Syphilis is almost eradicated from the United States. However, physicians with their continued research have discovered other new venereal infections. They are approximately twenty five as recorded by the Centre for Disease Control and prevention in the nation.
Hence these diseases have emerged to be a threat to most of the population in the United States in terms of infection. It is estimated that more than 15 million people become infected yearly with at least 5 million people infected with an incurable STD’S. Out of the reported infections a quarter are among adolescents, who are vulnerable to Chlamydia and gonorrhea. Chlamydia infections are mostly among adolescent girls with a percent of forty and a higher percent rate of gonorrhea (Brandt, 1987).
Initially there was a feeling that most venereal diseases originated with prostitutes and spread during sexual intercourse, but later discovered that also children were infected. It was expected by doctors to find children infected with syphilis or gonorrhea of the eyes and not genital ones. They were only surprised to find out that some children had the genital type of diseases. This was evidence for se...