# Danger, Will Robinson (Discussing increased incidences of syphilis in Texas)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danger-will-robinson-discussing-increased-incidences-of-syphilis-in-texas/987050
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [July 15, 2023, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danger-will-robinson-discussing-increased-incidences-of-syphilis-in-texas/987050 "2023-07-15T00:15:44Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)
#### Post date: [July 16, 2023, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danger-will-robinson-discussing-increased-incidences-of-syphilis-in-texas/987050/41 "2023-07-16T22:11:31Z")
Thanks, Beck. I mistakenly thought he was referring to a strain of syphilis bacteria, not weed.
---
### Author:  [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)
#### Post date: [July 16, 2023, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danger-will-robinson-discussing-increased-incidences-of-syphilis-in-texas/987050/42 "2023-07-16T22:36:00Z")
> [@kayaker](#):
>
> Texas. We expect better of you.
I dont. I expect just about the worst, with maybe Florida and the Deep South coming in as the worst.
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#):
>
> I wonder if unchecked immigration might be a factor in this. Are they screening immigrants for std’s?
Well, since there is no such thing as “unchecked immigration” I would have to say no. Not to mention those people come from nations with UHC.
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#):
>
> Increased rates seem to be associated with increased rate of men having sex with men, along with increased methamphetamine use.
Hmm, good info , thanks.
---
### Author:  [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)
#### Post date: [July 16, 2023, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danger-will-robinson-discussing-increased-incidences-of-syphilis-in-texas/987050/43 "2023-07-16T22:41:08Z")
Okay, I had to look that up.
Cresco is a strain of cannabis, not Treponema pallidum.
---
### Author:  [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)
#### Post date: [July 16, 2023, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danger-will-robinson-discussing-increased-incidences-of-syphilis-in-texas/987050/44 "2023-07-16T22:43:33Z")
Birth control was also unreliable, and often hard to obtain.
BTW, one treatment for gonorrhea in the pre-antibiotic era was Lysol. Women were given a douche of a capful or two in a few quarts of the hottest water they could stand, and men had their urethras flushed with the straight product.
Some soldiers were even given small tubes of a mercurial ointment, to be rubbed on their “parts” if they had a suspect exposure.
My local city, which has several colleges and a thriving LGBT community, has billboards that say things like “HIV is treatable - know your status” and my local newspaper has ads saying the same thing. It’s not just my local paper, because I recently saw a paper from my mother’s hometown in rural Iowa, population about 700, and they carry those ads too.
---
### Author:  [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)
#### Post date: [July 16, 2023, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danger-will-robinson-discussing-increased-incidences-of-syphilis-in-texas/987050/45 "2023-07-16T23:00:47Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#):
>
> BTW, one treatment for gonorrhea in the pre-antibiotic era was Lysol.
I’d heard of Lysol douches. Thank dog we’re beyond that now.
---
### Author:  [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)
#### Post date: [July 16, 2023, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danger-will-robinson-discussing-increased-incidences-of-syphilis-in-texas/987050/46 "2023-07-16T23:13:37Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#):
>
> Ok. I’m a dummy but I know he was high when he wrote the thread title. STDs have nothing whatsoever to do with Danger, Will Robinson. It’s just used as an exclamation of surprise.
>
> (Cresco is weed)
tyvm.
ETA: What **CairoCarol** said.
---
### Author:  [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)
#### Post date: [July 16, 2023, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danger-will-robinson-discussing-increased-incidences-of-syphilis-in-texas/987050/47 "2023-07-16T23:15:31Z")
I live only to serve 😊
@kayaker I hope you’re not angry with me.
---
### Author:  [@Steven\_Maven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steven_Maven)
#### Post date: [July 16, 2023, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danger-will-robinson-discussing-increased-incidences-of-syphilis-in-texas/987050/48 "2023-07-16T23:35:39Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#):
>
> to my knowledge neither major party has a pro-syphilis plank in its platform.
No, but one party is vehemently opposed to sex education and public health initiatives.
---
### Author:  [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2023, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danger-will-robinson-discussing-increased-incidences-of-syphilis-in-texas/987050/49 "2023-07-17T00:02:34Z")
Newborns still get drops in their eyes to prevent blindness if their mother has gonorrhea, although nowadays its modern antibiotics instead of the silver nitrate solution they used to use.
---
### Author:  [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2023, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danger-will-robinson-discussing-increased-incidences-of-syphilis-in-texas/987050/50 "2023-07-17T00:09:23Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#):
>
> Some soldiers were even given small tubes of a mercurial ointment, to be rubbed on their “parts” if they had a suspect exposure.
They were also advised to wash with soap thoroughly immediately after sex, which reduced transmission rates. And from 1910 on Salvarsan was available to those with access to premium medical care, although it required an arduous treatment course (but still vastly superior to mercury compounds).
---
### Author:  [@El\_DeLuxo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_DeLuxo)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2023, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danger-will-robinson-discussing-increased-incidences-of-syphilis-in-texas/987050/51 "2023-07-17T08:02:49Z")
> [@kayaker](#):
>
> Texas. We expect better of you.
We do?
---
### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2023, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danger-will-robinson-discussing-increased-incidences-of-syphilis-in-texas/987050/52 "2023-07-17T11:20:35Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#):
>
> I hope you’re not angry with me.
Love you! Yes, Cresco is a company that sells pharmaceutical grade cannabis to Pennsylvanians like myself. A particularly potent strain was to blame for the thread title.
---
### Author:  [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2023, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danger-will-robinson-discussing-increased-incidences-of-syphilis-in-texas/987050/53 "2023-07-17T15:04:39Z")
For those who want to see a more recent take on STD statistics nationally and by state, here is a 2023 source:
> **[STD Rates by State 2023 - Wisevoter](https://wisevoter.com/state-rankings/std-rates-by-state/)**
>
> Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) have become an increasingly prominent public health concern in recent years. In the United States alone, more than 110 million people currently have an STD, with 20 million new infections occurring each year. In...
This echoes @Jackmannii’s post:
> [@Jackmannii](#):
>
> Texas is not the only state seeing marked increases in syphilis diagnoses. It’s part of a national trend.
>
> [Syphilis cases at highest levels in 70 years in alarming trend - ABC News](https://abcnews.go.com/Health/stis-including-syphilis-rose-2nd-year-pandemic-cdc/story?id=98478883)
Given that the OP was in reference to 2021 statistics for Houston and while the year over year growth is alarming, the numbers are not that big. But this link has a very alarming long-term graph, showing a steady decrease in infections from the 50’s until the early 2000’s, then an explosion from about 2008-2010 to 2021 (I mean, it undoes about 50 years of progress in about 10 years).
[ ](https://s.abcnews.com/images/Health/ABCNewsChart_STIIncreasing_V04_GV_1681231247600_hpEmbed_1x1_992.jpg)
This raises the question of what caused this sudden, explosive growth of syphilis infections in the past 10-15 years? (And secondarily, what caused the spike in the 80’s. Was it just the rise of HIV as an STD?)
One thought I had was whether anyone has tried to correlate the rise in STDs with the (fairly successful) assault in certain states on clinics offering free sexual health services (like Planned Parenthood closures, reduction of state-funded services, etc.,) and/or reduction of sex education in schools?
From my link above, under the Texas statistics is the following description (bolding is mine):
> A number of factors are thought to contribute to this statistic, including **limited access to healthcare services, inadequate sex education programs** , and high levels of poverty in certain areas.
Even though Texas is in the middle of the pack among states, I note that they’ve gone from under the national average in 2021 to over the national average in 2023.
---
### Author:  [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2023, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danger-will-robinson-discussing-increased-incidences-of-syphilis-in-texas/987050/54 "2023-07-17T15:27:55Z")
Sorry if this has already been discussed, but I seem to remember a while back reading about increases in sexually-transmitted diseases in senior communities, where sex with many partners had apparently become quite common. Is that part of this?
---
### Author:  [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2023, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danger-will-robinson-discussing-increased-incidences-of-syphilis-in-texas/987050/55 "2023-07-17T15:42:48Z")
While those between 15-24 account for half of all STDs reported, you may be right about syphilis. From the link below, only 20% of syphilis cases are in ages 15-24.
[STI Statistics and Young People : I Wanna Know](https://www.iwannaknow.org/statistics/)
Here’s some specific numbers on 55+
> **[STIs & Older Americans: Where Does Your State Stand? | The Senior List](https://www.theseniorlist.com/sti-older-americans/)**
>
> It may seem surprising, but sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are on the rise in older adults. Over the past five years, the CDC estimates that the rates of infection for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis have more than doubled in Americans...
---
### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2023, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danger-will-robinson-discussing-increased-incidences-of-syphilis-in-texas/987050/56 "2023-07-17T16:00:16Z")
> [@bump](#):
>
> Well that explains why I saw one of the “Syphilis Tsunami” billboards on a Dallas freeway a while back. (now it’s a [“Gonorrhea Alert”](https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/resizer/Kn62CPu0q5tAYb5p6zdjdHs_gRg=/1440x0/filters:format(jpg):quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/baltimorebanner/7IJDRPCGQBFCLPHXUGF32QBTR4.jpg) one, so maybe STDs are common in my part of town?)
[freeSTDcheck.org](http://freeSTDcheck.org) advertises in Ohio, too, but around here the billboards mostly seem to focus on HIV.
And were the old mercury-based medicines effective at all (given, of course, that they were certainly less effective and had worse side effects than proper antibiotics)?
---
### Author:  [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2023, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danger-will-robinson-discussing-increased-incidences-of-syphilis-in-texas/987050/57 "2023-07-17T16:20:06Z")
Crikey!
(also, a note to young graphic makers: please also include a line for the overall average. thanks in advance).
[ ](https://www.theseniorlist.com/app/uploads/2020/02/sti-1.png)
---
### Author:  [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2023, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danger-will-robinson-discussing-increased-incidences-of-syphilis-in-texas/987050/58 "2023-07-17T16:28:31Z")
Shame, shame Granny. 😊
---
### Author:  [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2023, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danger-will-robinson-discussing-increased-incidences-of-syphilis-in-texas/987050/59 "2023-07-17T16:43:39Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#):
>
> (also, a note to young graphic makers: please also include a line for the overall average. thanks in advance).
+1.
And can someone find a pie chart that shows the contribution of each age demographic to the overall numbers? While seniors have the highest percentage increase, they are one of the smallest segments of the population, so the absolute contribution to the overall numbers may be relatively minor, even with the bigger percentage increase within that population, but I didn’t find a direct comparison of the numbers by age demographic anywhere (in the half dozen sites I clicked on).
---
### Author:  [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2023, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danger-will-robinson-discussing-increased-incidences-of-syphilis-in-texas/987050/60 "2023-07-17T17:02:44Z")
No pie chart, but tables of raw statistics, here’s syphilis. Young people are still the ones with by far the highest rates. Of course, they’re also likely getting it on more frequently (cue Barry White).
> **[Table 15. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Reported Cases and Rates of...](https://www.cdc.gov/std/statistics/2021/tables/15.htm)**
>
> STD Information from CDC. Facts, Statistics, Treatment, and Other Resources.
Index of tables:
> **[Tables](https://www.cdc.gov/std/statistics/2021/tables.htm)**
>
> STD Information from CDC. Facts, Statistics, Treatment, and Other Resources.
[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danger-will-robinson-discussing-increased-incidences-of-syphilis-in-texas/987050.md?page=2)
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danger-will-robinson-discussing-increased-incidences-of-syphilis-in-texas/987050.md?page=4)