Do you know the origin of mandatory blood tests before getting your marriage license?
I had no idea, until I read in The Globe and Mail today that the primary reason was syphilis. My first thought was “that seems reasonable”, but then I thought back and tried to remember if Paul and I had one before we got married. I couldn’t recall, so I asked him – apparently, we didn’t.
“Now, very few states still require a blood test,” she writes. “This testing has been phased out because syphilis was considered virtually eradicated.” It was also thought to be a burden on …read more

We don’t hear about the “old” STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) as much any more. Most of our focus is on HIV and HPV (human papillomavirus), which can lead to cervical cancer. But those older STDs are still out there. Just ask the 10 teens who were diagnosed over the past month in Oklahoma. All 10 are under 18 years old (Officials Confirm Teen Syphilis Outbreak).
Those kids were lucky. Why? Syphilis is curable. HIV isn’t. That doesn’t mean that syphilis is harmless – it’s not.
If the syphilis infection isn’t diagnosed in the early or middle stages, it may not be detectable …read more

And, oh, how I wish they did. Maybe with a big ol’ piece of senselessnesscidal latex wrapped around my brain I wouldn’t be dangerously exposed to half the nonsense I’m exposed to on a daily basis.
Overlook me. I’m in a mood, and I’ve just watched House, so, yeah, totally unnecessary sarcasm abounds.
So, anyway, to the point. I’ve just watched House and I learned a new word: neurosyphilis.
Now, I’m not completely ignorant. I know what neuro means, and I know what syphilis is. And, I even know that when left untreated, syphilis can wreak havoc on your brain.
I’d just never, for …read more