# Presentation: 314932

## “The Clap Doctor”, “The Father of Spin,” and Other Historical Lessons for Syphilis Elimination

- Bill Petz
- North Carolina HIV/STD Prevention and Care Branch

## Treponema

- “What Will My Future Be Like?”

## “Syphilis Elimination: History in the Making”

- “Current STD prevention & control not sufficient”
- “New strategies required”
- “Combining intensified traditional approaches with innovative approaches can generate new synergy and enhance effectiveness”

## Five Strategies

- Enhanced surveillance
- Enhanced health promotion
- Expanded clinical and laboratory services
- Rapid outbreak response*
- Strengthening community involvement and partnerships*
- *”new in many parts of US”

## Community Involvement and Partnerships

- “acknowledges and responds to the effects of racism, poverty, and other relevant social issues on the persistence of syphilis”
- Other:  Sexism, homophobia, substance abuse, stigma, distrust of government, privacy, confidentiality, prostitution
- Still other: political will,  moralistic judgment, .......

## Not successfully included in past efforts to eliminate syphilis

- Consideration of the social context in which syphilis persists
- Affected communities and the agencies that serve them

## Requirements for Success

- Commitment, investment and collaboration of opinion leaders and program managers
- Members and leaders of affected communities involved in design and delivery of services and shared ownership of interventions

## History Already Made

## Edward Bernays1891-1995

- “Father of Public Relations”
- Nephew of Freud
- Selling of WW I & II
- Women’s smoking
- Fluoridation of water
- “engineering of consent”

## Edward Bernays

- Medical Reviews of Reviews 1912
- Play “Damaged Goods”
- Support actor Richard Bennett’s goal to produce the play
- “Sociological Fund Committee” prominent membership and funding to educate public on STDs

## Damaged Goods

- Opened in NYC on Broadway March 1913
- Rave reviews for open discussion (not for the drama or acting)
- Presented in Washington for government leaders April 1913
- Support from the powerful for value of the message

## Dr. Ben Reitman1879-1942

- “The Clap Doctor”
- Born in poverty
- “King of Hobos”
- Lover and manager for Emma Goldman
- Birth control advocate
- Sociological studies
- Numerous affairs

## Ben Reitman

- Cook County Remedy Company
- 1917 established Chicago’s first VD clinic
- 1922 Chicago VD campaign
- 1923 County jail & House of Detention Clinics established
- 1924 Prevention information to 500,000 homes; 1937 syphilis testing survey
- 1937 Chicago Syphilis Control Project

## Chicago Syphilis Control

- One million tests in 2 years
- Half of elementary school children tested
- 42,000 cases found
- 20% of African American tested were infected

## Chicago Syphilis Control

- Reitman creates Chicago Society for Prevention of VD
- 100 talks in 2 years
- Takes leaders to high morbidity areas
- Takes disenfranchised to churches, schools
- Special Investigator for Project

## Ben Reitman

- Advocates for full and accurate information
- Promotes barrier prevention rather than “moral prophylaxis”
- Predicts condoms will be available in schools
- Challenges authorities and fired

## National Efforts

- 1937 Surgeon General Parran’s program
- Explicit public support from President Roosevelt
- Collaboration with states, cities, community groups, business, churches
- “bad blood war wagon”
- Dr. Vanderlehr’s assessment

## New and Innovative

- Social marketing
- Media advocacy
- Mobile units
- Jail and prison screening
- Community advocacy
- Faith-based initiatives
- Multi-front efforts

## New and Innovative

- Social marketing
- Media advocacy
- Mobile units
- Jail and prison screening

- Public opinion leaders
- Faith based initiatives
- Community advocacy

## New synergy

- ‘acknowledges, and responds to the effects of racism, poverty, and other relevant social issues on the persistence of syphilis” AND WORKS TO ELIMINATE THEM
- Treats quality health care and health disparities as a justice issue
- Broadens the concept of moral issues

## Treponema

- “What Will My Future Be Like?”

## Bill Petz

- 828 669 3350
- Bill.Petz@ncmail.net
- Menshealthnc@mail.com