Fake STD Cures & Remedies: A History

Charlatan. Con Man. Snake Oil Salesman. Quackery. Pseudoscience.
Many words have been used to describe fake cures for sickness and disease and the people who sell them. For as long as people have suffered from illness, savvy business people have found ways to make a buck off of people desperately searching for a cure. STDs are prime territory for snake oil salesmen because the embarrassment creates a robust market for miracle cures that can be purchased and used without a doctor’s visit. Unfortunately, the cures that seem too good to be true are just that— too good to be true.

The term “snake oil salesman” comes from the unscrupulous salesmen who manufactured imitations of the “cure-all” snake oil brought to the states by Chinese immigrants in the 1800s. The real deal oil came from the Chinese water snake and was loaded with omega-3 acids that helped reduce swelling and joint pain, but the fake versions peddled by crafty salesmen were usually little more than red pepper and turpentine in a medicine bottle. In the early 1900s, fake snake oil was exposed as a fraud by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the phrase “snake oil salesman” was irrevocably tied to the connotation.

As modern medicine has advanced, an emphasis on holistic and natural healing has gained popularity. While holistic or alternative medicine, which involves the use of herbs, essential oils, crystals, sound therapy, and other untested remedies, usually get the worst rap for fraudulent or ineffective treatments, mainstream medicine has its own forms of quackery. Any medicines that haven’t been tested and approved by the FDA can’t be guaranteed to provide the results they offer. Any medicine that claims to cure a disease that has always been known as incurable should be regarded with suspicion. Any cure that can only be found on sketchy websites, the back pages of magazines and newspapers, or through mail order catalogs are not to be trusted. Any remedy that professes to cure a serious or lifelong condition, such as HIV or herpes, with nothing but fresh herbs and/or a change in diet is incredibly likely to be ineffective and possibly even dangerous. That’s the real problem with fake cures– not only do they not do anything to cure the condition, they actually delay actual medical treatment. Some STDs, syphilis and HIV especially, can have very serious, even fatal, side effects if left to progress untreated.

Even if a product’s marketing materials and website look legitimate and authoritative, it could be fake. Even if there are doctors endorsing it or it has patient testimonials attesting to the effectiveness of the treatment, it could be a scam. Even if there are reputable names associated with the product, such as newspaper or organization logos, it could be a sham. The questionable companies that manufacture junk cures for STDs capitalize on the fear and embarrassment associated with an STD infection. The FDA has started cracking down on unproven remedies and their manufacturers over the past five years, issuing “cease and desist” notices to the companies making false claims about the health benefits of their products.

The FDA has released a statement in regards to sites like these saying, “There are no over-the-counter or online drugs or dietary supplements available to treat or prevent STDs.”

According to the FDA, there is one simple way to avoid fake STD cures and remedies: If it doesn’t require a prescription, do not use it.