Were sexually transmitted diseases common in ancient Rome?

ABSTRACT Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), previously known as venereal dis- eases (VD), were present among the .... ous sexual liaisons, and erotic scenes are common in their sculptures, paintings, and ... Venereal disease in Rome. read more

A reason that you may not find many references to STDs is that the germ theory of disease had not been discovered yet. Ancient Romans did not know how diseases (sexual or not) were transmitted. read more

It seems like sexual contagion was recognized in the 16th century during the height of the syphilis epidemic. read more

Gonorrhea is the most common STD in the world, in ancient times it was incorrectly believed that the pus discharge associated with the disease contained semen. Hepatitis B - HBV is spread by having sex with an infected person or through blood transmission. read more