Tag: gonorrhea history

Pre-Antibiotic Care: How STIs Were Managed Before Antibiotics Became Common

Jan 25 2026 / History & Culture

Before antibiotics, STIs like syphilis and gonorrhea were deadly and untreatable. People suffered for years with mercury, arsenic, and shame. Today’s doxy-PEP isn’t pre-antibiotic care-it’s antibiotic use to prevent infection. Learn how we got here-and why we can’t afford to go back.