Syphilis Rates Drop in Countries with Gay Marriage Laws

Newswise — Data from Europe suggests that national recognition of same-sex partnerships leads to significant reductions in syphilis rates, according to a new study by a Swarthmore College economist.

“The evidence shows these laws could dramatically reduce risky sexual behavior and the social costs of some sexually transmitted infections,” says Thomas Dee, an assistant professor of economics. “However, the results may be even more important because of what they suggest are the likely effects of gay marriage on the degree of personal commitment in same-sex relationships.”

Dee studied data from Europe, where 12 countries have introduced national recognition of same-sex partnerships between 1989 and 2003. While these “gay marriage laws” reduced syphilis rates by 24 percent, their effects on the prevalence of gonorrhea and HIV were smaller and insignificant. Dee’s study was published this month by the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Dee joined Swarthmore’s faculty in 1999 and is a faculty research fellow with the National Bureau of Economic Research in Cambridge, Mass. A member of Swarthmore’s Class of 1990, Dee received his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Maryland.

Located near Philadelphia, Swarthmore is a highly selective liberal arts college whose mission combines academic rigor with social responsibility. Swarthmore, with an enrollment of 1,450, is consistently ranked among the top liberal arts colleges in the country.