By Joseph Tucker, MD, PhD
Syphilis seems to be a never-ending story, an unbroken tale of woe passed from person to person since ancient times. The sustained transmission of syphilis, across times and cultures, suggests that key elements of social forces underpinning STI transmission cannot be disrupted. However, public health authorities declared victory against syphilis at multiple points in times throughout history when new cures were developed. The development of the syphilis cure, Salvarsan, one hundred years ago directly contributed to the creation of a venereal disease clinic system and a new subspeciality field of venereology in the United Kingdom. Then after the more effective cure, penicillin, was introduced, much of this health systems infrastructure was integrated into other systems.
Examining the history of syphilis cures may help us better anticipate the influence of HIV cures as this field grows. The journal Sexually Transmitted Infections commissioned a special themed issue with six short pieces accompanied by an editorial focused on the history of syphilis cures in the United Kingdom. The purpose of this set of articles was to articulate how two cures in particular, Salvarsan and penicillin, resulted in major changes in venereal disease health systems. The accompanying editorial relates these historical pieces to ongoing HIV cure research.
Papers in the Series
- Tucker JD, Gelpi A, Bangsberg DR, Grewe M, and Necochea R. The Disruptive Influence of Syphilis Cures within Specialist Venereal Systems: Implications for HIV Cure Preparedness.
- Gelpi A and Tucker JD. After Venus, Mercury: Syphilis Treatment in United Kingdom before Salvarsan.
- Gelpi A, Gilbertson A, and Tucker JD. Magic Bullet: Paul Ehlrich, Salvarsan and the Birth of Venereology.
- Gelpi A and Tucker JD. The Magic Bullet Hits Many Targets: Salvarsan’s Impact on UK Health Systems, 1909-1943.
- Gelpi A and Tucker JD. A Cure at Last? Penicillin’s Unintended Consequences on Syphilis Control, 1944-1964.
- Grewe M and Tucker JD. Syphilis Cure Posters.
- Gilbertson A, Gelpi A, and Tucker JD. The Impact of Penicillin on Sexual Healthcare Delivery Systems in Mid-20th Century Britain.
Please contact us if you would like a copy of these papers.
