Sexually Transmitted Diseases

The documents in Peiss were insightful to read because it gave me a clear picture about how sexually transmitted diseases were viewed in the 1950s and late 1990s.  I had heard about the Tuskegee Syphilis Study in the past because there was actually a movie made depicting the events that occurred during this time.  It seems to me by reading this document and from the movie that the black farmers who were sick with syphilis in 1953 were used as guinea pigs by the US government, they were given high hopes for treating the diseases but were deceived with placebo drugs, little money, and were drawn in by pitching that there burial services would be covered, its like they gave them a death sentence without helping them succumb the disease.  The document from President Clinton was heartfelt but, of course, a little to late for the government to finally admit to the unjust racism and lack of health care provided to these unfortunate black men.
The other document that was great was the on of the theater in New York that was being closed down because of the sexual activities being conducted, i.e. fellatio, and the high rise of HIV/AIDS that was reported by the Department of Public Health of New York.  The statistics are breathtaking because there was no treatment available during this time and many people who contracted the disease were dying. I was glad that the Dr. submitted a court order to close the theatre because most people did not know the dangers of unprotected sex and the fact that it is not just a homosexual disease, it is transmitted to women and children too!  It is and was the most devastating sexually transmitted disease in my opinion.