Popular fiction about the Otago gold rush era would have you believe sexually transmitted infections (STIs) were rife among the gold fields’ populations.
Yet a first-of-its-kind study by the University of Otago has found STIs were less common than popular culture books portray; and the prevalence of cases was about the same as it is in the southern regions today.
Lead author and University of Otago anatomy PhD candidate Kirsten Rutten explored the topic because of the way the period was depicted in popular culture, and she wanted to provide insights into biocultural aspects of the gold rush.
‘‘Despite the severe and often lasting effects on health, there is limited information about sexually transmitted infections in New Zealand’s colonial period.
‘‘Popular culture, however, often portrays it as a time with high rates of STIs, especially among prostitutes, but these books lack archival and clinical evidence to support these claims.
‘‘We found they are not telling the full story, as our research suggests these infections were likely less common than portrayed,’’ she said.
As part of her research, Ms Rutten studied Otago’s hospital records and newspaper articles, from 1864-69, to get a picture of the prevalence of syphilis and gonorrhoea infections, and society’s attitudes towards people with STIs.
The study found syphilis and gonorrhoea infections fluctuated, and affected people from a range of demographic backgrounds.
She said 113 men and 47 women were admitted to Dunedin Hospital for syphilis, and 84 men and 15 women for gonorrhoea during the five-year period.
In Dunstan Hospital, six men were admitted for syphilis and seven men for gonorrhoea.
‘‘The overall prevalence of syphilis cases in both hospitals was 4.3%, and gonorrhoea 2.8% — which matches the present-day prevalence in the southern regions.’’
Ms Rutten said the higher number of males admitted might have been because segregated wards allocated more beds to men than women, and many women sought treatment in the community.
Men with maritime-related occupations were seen more commonly in Dunedin Hospital, while those with mining-related occupations were seen in Dunstan Hospital.
‘‘The only female occupations recorded in Dunedin Hospital were either prostitute or servant.
‘‘Other occupations may have been considered irrelevant to how they became infected, reflecting a deep-rooted stigma towards women with STIs.’’
Newspaper reports highlighted this, women’s infections being linked to vagrancy and prostitution, which were portrayed as the main cause of sexually transmitted infections.
Men were generally spared these character judgements.
Ms Rutten said the research was valuable because it helped plug a knowledge gap.
It also has contemporary relevance, because rates of syphilis and gonorrhoea have risen over the past two decades, particularly in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States.
‘‘What remains consistent across these popular culture books, historical records and modern society is the associated stigma surrounding STIs — especially regarding women.’’
She hoped the research would encourage people to reflect on how stigma had shaped both historical accounts and present attitudes.