Syphilis spreads while researchers contend with federal constraints and a drug shortage

Syphilis cases have been on the rise in San Diego, a city already grappling with federal limitations and a drug supply shortage. GB, a 47-year-old meth user, found herself at Park Boulevard, lured by the promise of free snacks and $20 for completing surveys. Living in a tent city, she relied on collecting aluminum cans to earn her earnings; each pound fetched $1.66.

The research office on Park Boulevard, though sterile, offered more than just coffee and snacks. A researcher, Carlos Vera, asked GB to provide a blood sample, despite her fear of needles and her reluctance to inject substances. Vera interacted with her as if she were a human, unlike other individuals who often treated people in her situation as undesirable.