{"id":7015,"date":"2022-08-05T06:12:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-05T06:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/?p=7015"},"modified":"2023-10-25T15:18:40","modified_gmt":"2023-10-25T15:18:40","slug":"the-clap-and-other-sti-names-through-the-ages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/the-clap-and-other-sti-names-through-the-ages\/","title":{"rendered":"The Clap and other STI names through the ages"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Today, virtually everyone has heard of or had some kind of encounter with STIs or sexually transmitted infections<\/a>. But, few people know the origins of these infections and how they got their present names.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some STIs, like gonorrhoea, are commonly referred to by colloquial names like \u201cthe clap.\u201d Others, like chlamydia and syphilis, have foreign-sounding names. In reality, all three of these STIs got their names, both proper and slang, from history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Originally, all STIs were known as \u201cvenereal diseases.\u201d<\/a> This is an ancient name derived from the Roman god of love, Venus. However, over time, various prominent STIs all got their own names. This article dives into how gonorrhoea, syphilis, and chlamydia got their names and how they changed through the ages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Gonorrhoea, a.k.a. \u201cThe Clap\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Today, many people know gonorrhoea<\/a> as \u201cthe clap.\u201d But, few people who use this term are actually familiar with the origins of the name \u201cthe clap.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gonorrhoea is actually a very ancient STI. It started to become a problem around the 16th century in Western Europe. Around the same time that the disease rose to prominence, the name \u201cthe clap\u201d originated. There are three competing theories<\/a> about why gonorrhoea was given this slang name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first and most popular theory is that \u201cthe clap\u201d was derived from the French word for brothel, \u201cclapier.\u201d This word meant a rabbit\u2019s nest and was a play on the active sex life of rabbits. The French used \u201cclapier\u201d as a slang term for brothels. Anyone who got gonorrhoea got the \u201cclapier bulbo,\u201d which the English likely shortened to \u201cthe clap.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Gonorrhoea is often referred to as the clap<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A second and more jarring theory is that \u201cthe clap\u201d refers to how men would attempt to cure themselves of gonorrhoea. Back in the 1500s, there were no antibiotics, and medical knowledge was very limited. Some men who contracted gonorrhoea believed that by either clapping their penis between their hands or forcefully slapping their penis against a board, they would force out all of the infected discharge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A third and final theory is that \u201cthe clap\u201d refers to the old English word \u201cclappan,\u201d which meant \u201cthrobbing or beating.\u201d The painful throbbing symptoms of gonorrhoea may have given rise to the name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Syphilis<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Syphilis<\/a> is perhaps the most prolific and well-documented STI in history. Syphilis raged through Europe in the late 15th century, especially affecting promiscuous members of royal courts. Originally, it was not called syphilis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some theories<\/a> think that the disease was brought back to Europe by Columbus\u2019 sailors, who picked it up on their voyages to the Americas. Originally, syphilis was coined as \u201cthe great pox.\u201d But, almost immediately, everyone who got syphilis decided to blame a foreign culture <\/a>that they disliked for the disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Italian doctors called syphilis \u201cthe French disease,\u201d while the French called it the \u201cNeopolitan disease\u201d after Naples. Some Russians called it \u201cPolish disease,\u201d while the Poles, in turn, blamed the Germans. Muslims blamed the disease on both Christians and Hindus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It wasn\u2019t until 1530 that an Italian poet, Giralamo Fracastoro, wrote a poem about a character named syphilis who angered the sun god Apollo. Apollo then allegedly infected syphilis with his namesake disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chlamydia<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Unlike other historical STI names that were based either on prejudice or slang, chlamydia <\/a>got its name from a scientific error<\/a>. Chlamydia was an issue as far back as 1500 BCE. But it got its name when scientists thought that chlamydia cells were \u201cintracellular protozoan pathogens\u201d that cloak themselves over the nucleus of infected cells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The name chlamydia was chosen because the Greek word \u201cchlamydia\u201d means cloak. Now, researchers and scientists know that this cloak is actually something known as an \u201cinclusion.\u201d However, because the name \u201cchlamydia\u201d was recognized internationally for many years, the name still lingers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion <\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and syphilis are three STIs that got their names in history for various reasons. Gonorrhoea was called \u201cthe clap,\u201d syphilis was blamed on foreigners, and chlamydia was named incorrectly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of how these STIs got their name, none of them are infections that you want to be surprised about contracting. Better2Know offers individual STI testing kits for chlamydia and other frequently contracted STIs. Better2Know also offers STI screens, including the Peace of Mind Screen<\/a> that specially screens for chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhoea all in one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can use Better2Know\u2019s online appointment system<\/a> to find a nearby clinic and get tested today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sources<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n