Ask most people to account for the sexual revolution of the 1960s, and they will likely say something about improved access to birth control (as well as improved access to Jefferson Airplane and shrooms). But Andrew Francis, an economist at Emory University, wants to give a little credit to penicillin, too.
What does the antibiotic have to do with free love? In 1943, scientists discovered that it could treat the STD syphilis, which had been spreading steadily across the United States - and especially through the army. As penicillin shots became more available in the '50s, syphilis deaths declined and risky sexual behavior - as measured in gonorrhea rates, teen pregnancies and illegitimate births - increased. These indices of erotic adventurousness, in other words, were rising way before abortion and the pill became an accepted part of women's reproductive lives during the '60s and early '70s.
Of course, penicillin didn't cause the swinging '60s full stop. Many historians credit progressive social forces that were already germinating in the straight-jacketed '50s. The legalization of the pill and the growing acceptance of abortion couldn't have hurt either. But Francis does make a suggestive case for penicillin's contribution to the decade's freewheeling ways, linking the rise in sexual risk-taking after the syphilis epidemic deflated to the rise in same after a new AIDS treatment came out in 2000.
The study proposes another weird/ironic chain of cause and effect too. Because "the advent of penicillin may have produced analogous effects on sexual behavior as the advent of HAART [an anti-retroviral drug]," Francis argues, it's possible that the "spread of HIV may have been facilitated by the collapse of syphilis." In other words, people were less worried about doing it once syphilis left the picture, so they didn't take the precautions that might have safeguarded them against AIDS. Francis, the economist, thus offers a few words of caution to health policy makers: "To focus exclusively on the defeat of one disease can set the stage for the onset of another if preemptive measures are not taken."
But that shouldn't stop us liberated women from silently offering penicillin a prayer of thanks next time we embrace the legacy of free love.
Community News Network
Did penicillin cause the sexual revolution?
- Community News Network
-
-
LIVE: Tornado on the ground south of Oklahoma City
Watch live coverage as a tornado crawls across the Oklahoma City Metropolitan area.
-
VIDEO: Tumblr sold to Yahoo! for $1.1 billion
Yahoo! has purchased Tumblr for $1.1 billion, hoping to compete more effectively with sites like Google and Facebook.
-
What you need to know about preparing for tornadoes
Tornado survivors and seasoned observers suggest people do two simple things to prepare for tornadoes: Know where to take shelter, and move quickly when the time comes.
-
VIDEO: How technology helps predict tornadoes
At the National Storm Prediction Center in Oklahoma, the team charged with predicting tornadoes relies on ever-changing technology to determine when and where storms may strike.
-
SLIDESHOW: Tornado passes through Oklahoma
A fast-moving storm brought rain, hail and tornadoes to Oklahoma late Sunday afternoon and evening.
-
Officer treated and released after injuries from Oklahoma windstorm
Enid, Okla. police officer Lee Friesendahl was treated and released at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center Saturday night after his patrol car was struck by a strong windstorm triggered by a heat burst.
-
Kia Optima is a hit with the buying public
When it comes to midsized family sedans, the Kia Optima ranks high on my list for its good looks, economy and value.
-
The story behind the viral deer on a bus video
The way bus driver John Porter tells it, some of his co-workers now call him “John Deer.”
-
Identity-theft victim jailed on culprit’s warrant
Kurt Millard spent most of last weekend in jail, locked up on another man’s arrest warrant. The 26-year-old resident of Joplin, Mo. could not convince his jailers they had the wrong guy.
-
SLIDESHOW: Texas storms damage homes, uproot trees
After a series of tornadoes touched down outside Dallas, residents of many Texas communities are cleaning up.
- More Community News Network Headlines
-
Raw: Tornado on the Ground in Oklahoma
Split-second Choice Ended With NY Student Dead
White House Backs 'Shield Law' for Media
Wave of Attacks Kills Scores in Iraq
Pug Life on Display at Wisconsin Festival
Company Promises to Make All Snail Mail Digital
Analyst: Tumblr Fills Void in Yahoo's Offerings
Commuters Face Delays After Conn. Train Accident
Raw: Swarm of Tornadoes Slams Plains
Raw: Fierce Bombing in Qusair, Syria
RAW: TV Staff Take Cover From Tornado
Raw: Accused US Spy Reportedly Leaves Russia
AP CEO: Records Seizure 'Unconstitutional'
Fatal Hot Air Balloon Accident in Turkey
Tornadoes, Storms Strike Midwest
'Babyland': Camp Lejeune's Toxic Legacy?
Raw: Heavy Tornado Damage in Shawnee, Okla
NTSB Begins Investigation Into Conn. Train Crash
Could Tobacco Be the Next Biofuel?
