
The Syphilis Explosion of the American Civil War
From Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society
Published 1/20/2026
It's been estimated that between eight and twelve percent of soldiers contracted a venereal disease during the American Civil War. What on earth were they up to?Kathryn Olivarius is a Professor at Stanford. She joins Kate to discuss syphilis, why it spread so far during the war and how it's…







