# What Would Doctors Call This? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 7, 2003, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-doctors-call-this/200119 "2003-09-07T17:29:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![gentle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eb8c5e/32.png) [@gentle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gentle)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2003, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-doctors-call-this/200119/21 "2003-09-09T02:45:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Anaxagoras \* > **Anyway, the story’s crisis is that the disease has mutated, gone air-borne, and sterilized 99% of the world’s population. The question is, what effects would this have on society?** You mean [apart](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0385333870) from developing, over the subsequent million years, into sleek, furry creatures with flippers and small brains? (Sorry.) ---
**Author:** ![gluteus\_maximus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f17d59/32.png) [@gluteus\_maximus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gluteus_maximus)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2003, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-doctors-call-this/200119/22 "2003-09-09T21:31:03Z")
**Anaxagoras** , are you developing, _without the help of the General Questions forum of the SDMB_, any SF stories in the traditional way… on your own? ---
**Author:** ![Anaxagoras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b77776/32.png) [@Anaxagoras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaxagoras)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-doctors-call-this/200119/23 "2003-09-10T15:11:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gluteus maximus \* > \*\ ***Anaxagoras** , are you developing, _without the help of the General Questions forum of the SDMB_, any SF stories in the traditional way… on your own? \*\* I call it research. And I’ll take all the help I can get. ---
**Author:** ![Anaxagoras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b77776/32.png) [@Anaxagoras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaxagoras)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-doctors-call-this/200119/24 "2003-09-10T15:24:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gentle \* > \*\*You mean [apart](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0385333870) from developing, over the subsequent million years, into sleek, furry creatures with flippers and small brains? (Sorry.) \*\* I never _claimed_ the idea was original 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![frixxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@frixxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/frixxxx)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-doctors-call-this/200119/25 "2003-09-10T15:46:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Horseflesh \* > \*\*This sounds a lot like _The White Plague_ by Frank Herbert, except the disease was transmitted by mere skin contact and it was fatal to females. … \*\* And also, Life after the dreaded disease is the Handmaid’s Tale…just for more “research” \*\* Anaxagoras \*\*🆒 ---
**Author:** ![frixxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@frixxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/frixxxx)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-doctors-call-this/200119/26 "2003-09-10T15:47:58Z")
oops…refer to the Handmaid’s tale…for lifestyle “research”:smack: ---
**Author:** ![frixxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@frixxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/frixxxx)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-doctors-call-this/200119/27 "2003-09-10T15:49:20Z")
And for my next trick…watch me pull my head outta my…nvm ---
**Author:** ![heresiarch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/278dde/32.png) [@heresiarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heresiarch)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-doctors-call-this/200119/28 "2003-09-10T19:07:20Z")
Another common name for the disease could be **Eggbeaters** , but if you publish, you might need to get clearance from the people who make that stuff. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-doctors-call-this/200119/29 "2003-09-10T20:59:29Z")
If its airborne it would be \* Acute Respiratory Febrile Amenorrhea. Commonly refered to as ARFA [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-doctors-call-this/200119.md?page=1)