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

In the exsert few weeks of class we have looked at several different cases of disease outbreaks throughout the world, and how different cultures have diverse understandings of these outbreaks. Of the sicknesses we have studied, I tone of voice that the HIV and Syphilis outbreaks stand apart from the others because of their massive infections in umpteen 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 dupes.When the outbreaks of syphilis and HIV first base became render, science at the time was unable to come up with a clear cause for the sicknesses. People witnessing the diseases, however, were quick to assign their own cause. Unfortunately, approximately put the blame on African Americans. While Syphilis whitethorn have been introduced to the western worlds by slave trade according to Philip D. Curtin, uneffective evidence is present to call this fact, and most bla me when these diseases first became present were all told racially based. This blind prejudice led to an extremely throttle understanding of the diseases. Many felt the diseases were so racially specific that whites were completely immune to the epidemics. Some even felt that Blacks became infected because they were inferior nonchristian beings, and as being so, they were being punished by god. (PBS/NOVA The Deadly falsification) As an effect of this logic, many more fell victim to the sicknesses, refusing manipulation due to these beliefs. This racial attitude of the time also severely hindered the find of the real causes of HIV and Syphilis.Many years later, and after a actually 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 argon three main causes to an HIV or Syphilis infection. A victim may become infected through blood transfusions or familiar contact with another, o r the diseases may be carried from a mother to her child. These conclusions parti-color greatly from what was first thought as the cause of the epidemics. The incorrect causes ab initio found by those in early times most possible 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 known as poorly Blood (CDC).