Medicine: Syphilis Tests

One out of every ten persons in theU. S. contracts syphilis at some time in his life. Twenty-six States have laws aimed at preventing the marriage of infected persons, but the American Social Hygiene Association regards the laws of only nine of these States as effective.* Among the most thoroughgoing is a New York law which requires physical examinations as well as Wassermann or Kahn tests for syphilis from all prospective brides and grooms. Tests for gonorrhea are not required, since they are not yet reliable or practical enough for large-scale use.

Last week Dr. Theodore Rosenthal of New York City’s Department of Health revealed that of 26,646 premarital blood tests taken in the city since the law became effective last July, only 1.34% or 358 cases showed positive results. This figure tallies very closely with the percentageof syphilis cases found in New Jersey and Connecticut tests. The figure is low, explained the Social Hygiene Association, because those who know they have the disease do not take the test, but wait until they are cured before being married. The percentage of positive cases represents persons who did not realize that they had syphilis. Hence the required tests not only did them a great personal service but prevented them from passing the disease on to their mates and children.

Other facts revealed by the Association: 1) Cases of syphilis discovered through various State examinations in the past year were divided equally between men and women; 2) many cases of gonorrhea were detected during the course of required physical examinations; 3) the number of marriages in New York and New Jersey declined sharply after the laws became effective last July. Since August, however, New York marriages have been increasing and marriages in Connecticut, first State to pass a test law, are as frequent as ever.

*To wit, Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Kentucky, New York, Rhode Island, New Jersey.