7 Famous People with Syphilis, Gonorrhea, or other STDs

Celebrities with STDs, like syphilis, chlamydia, or gonorrhea:

Introduction

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection that is caused by a spirochete called Treponema pallidum.

About 60% of cases affect men who have sex with men or with both women and men, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In 2016, a total of 27,814 cases of syphilis were reported in the US.

You face an increased risk of acquiring this infection if you:

• are infected with HIV, the virus which causes AIDS;
• are a man who has sex with men;
• have sex with multiple partners;
• engage in unprotected sex – this means having oral, anal, or vaginal sex without a condom.

Gonorrhea

It is a sexually transmitted disease that is primarily transmitted through oral, vaginal, or anal intercourse. Gonorrhea can also be passed from a pregnant woman to her baby.

In 2016, a total of 468,514 cases were reported in the United States. If left untreated, it can result in skin sores, arthritis, and brain or heart infection.

The bacterium responsible for causing this STD is called Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Common symptoms of gonorrhea include:

• bleeding between periods;
• pain when urinating;
• a thick green or yellow discharge from the penis or vagina.

Risk factors include:

• having a sexual partner who is infected with gonorrhea;
• being sexually active and under 25 years old;
• having human immunodeficiency virus;
• being a man who has sex with men;
• having sex with new or multiple sex partners;
• engaging in unprotected anal, vaginal, or oral sex.

Chlamydia

It is the most frequently reported sexually transmitted disease in the United States.

Chlamydia is caused by bacteria called Chlamydia trachomatis. It can infect both women and men.

Every year there were over 1.5 million cases of chlamydia in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Some of the most common symptoms include:

• painful sexual intercourse in women (dyspareunia);
• pain in the testicles;
• pain in the lower abdomen;
• yellow or green discharge from the vagina or penis;
• burning sensation during urination.

Risk factors include:

• men having sex with men;
• excessive alcohol or illegal drug use;
• a history of chlamydia or other STIs;
• incorrect and inconsistent condom use;
• multiple or frequent changes in sex partners.

Herpes

It is an infection that is caused by a virus, either herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) or herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1).

You can get it from having anal, vaginal, or oral sex with someone who has it.

An estimated 16% of people between the ages of 14 and 49 have this sexually transmitted disease.

Symptoms for both females and males include the following:

• fever;
• body aches;
• headaches;
• swollen lymph glands;
• a crust may appear over the sores within seven days of the outbreak;
• the infected site commonly starts to itch before the actual appearance of blisters;
• blisters may appear in the mouth and on your face, lips.

Risk factors include:

• sex at an early age;
• HIV infection;
• prior sexually transmitted infections;
• not using a condom;
• frequent changes in sex partners;
• sex with a person who has herpes.

List of Famous People With Syphilis, Gonorrhea, or Other STDs:

1) Napoleon Bonaparte

He was born on August 15, 1769, in the city of Ajaccio on the island of Corsica.

Napoleon was a brilliant military commander and conquered much of Europe.

Bonaparte suffered from syphilis and most likely died due to the consumption of arsenic – which was used for the treatment of syphilis during that time.

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2) John F. Kennedy

He was the 35th president of the United States and was America’s second youngest elected president.

Kennedy Jr.’s childhood medical records show he contracted a sexually transmitted disease as a teenager, the New York Times reports.

3) Al Capone

Alphonse Gabriel Capone was an American gangster who attained fame during the Prohibition era as the co-founder and boss of the Chicago Outfit.

His seven-year reign as crime boss ended when he was 33 years old.

Al Capone contracted syphilis as a young man and managed to keep the sexually transmitted disease at bay before being arrested for tax evasion.

4) Howard Hughes

Howard Hughes, a film director and aviator, was born on December 24, 1905, in Houston.

At some point during his life, Howard had become the richest man in the world.

What is perhaps not as well known about Howard is that he had contracted syphilis as a young man.

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5) Adolf Hitler

The German dictator led the extreme nationalist and racist Nazi party and served as chancellor-president of Germany from 1933 to 1945.

An encounter with a Jewish prostitute in Vienna in 1908 may have given him syphilis.

6) James Ewell Stuart

He was a Confederate Army general during the American Civil War and an American soldier from Virginia. James graduated from West Point in 1854.

According to historians, James Ewell Stuart contracted a sexually transmitted disease while at West Point.

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7) John Herbert Dillinger

John Dillinger (died July 22, 1934, Chicago, Illinois) was an American criminal who was the most famous bank robber in United States history.

Dillinger had gonorrhea.

Here is a quick recap of the celebrities with STDs:

1. Napoleon Bonaparte
2. John F. Kennedy
3. Al Capone
4. Howard Hughes
5. Adolf Hitler
6. James Ewell Stuart
7. John Herbert Dillinger

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Sources

https://www.cdc.gov/tuskegee/timeline.htm
https://academic.oup.com/fampra/article/23/5/550/571088