Penicillin cut the U.S. syphilis rate from 234.7 cases in each 100,000 population in 1948 to only 68.5 in 1958, the gonorrhea rate from 252 to 129.3. Unfortunately, the public's old terror of venereal disease gave way to overconfidence, a one-third cut in VD-control funds. The rate of VD decline began to level off five years ago, by last year seemed ready to rise again.
Last week the American Social Health Association and two other national health organizations, tallying up figures for fiscal 1959, reported a general VD rise in 29 U.S. states and 49 major cities. For the country as a...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
