Early Understanding of HIV and Syphilis :: essays research papers fc

In the last few weeks of class we have looked at several divergent cases of malady outbreaks throughout the world, and how different cultures have diverse understandings of these outbreaks. Of the sicknesses we have studied, I feel that the HIV and Syphilis outbreaks stand apart from the others because of their massive infections in many different cultures and parts of the world, and also due to the fact that the diseases cannot be cured, along with the unfortunately high rate of death among its victims.When the outbreaks of syphilis and HIV first became present, science at the time was unable to come up with a kick the bucket cause for the sicknesses. People witnessing the diseases, however, were quick to assign their own cause. Unfortunately, well-nigh put the blame on African Americans. While Syphilis may have been introduced to the western worlds by slave trade according to Philip D. Curtin, inefficient evidence is present to call this fact, and most blame when these disease s first became present were completely racially based. This blind prejudice led to an extremely limited understanding of the diseases. Many felt the diseases were so racially specific that whites were completely immune to the epidemics. Some even felt that B pretermits became infected because they were inferior unchristian beings, and as being so, they were being punished by god. (PBS/NOVA The venomous Deception) As an effect of this logic, many more fell victim to the sicknesses, refusing treatment due to these beliefs. This racial attitude of the time also severely hindered the breakthrough of the real causes of HIV and Syphilis.Many years later, and after a very large progression in medical research, scientists have finally came to a clear agreement on the causes of these diseases. It is now obvious that there are three main causes to an HIV or Syphilis infection. A victim may sustain infected through blood transfusions or sexual contact with another, or the diseases may be ca rried from a mother to her child. These conclusions vary greatly from what was first estimation as the cause of the epidemics. The incorrect causes initially found by those in early times most likely were based on a lack of knowledge in the areas of sanitary blood transfusions, safe sex, and the extremely racist attitude of the time. This lack of knowledge can be seen in what the diseases first became cognize as Bad Blood (CDC).