Ludwig van Beethoven. Idi Amin. Al Capone. Adolf Hitler. Howard Hughes. Ivan the Terrible, the Tsar of Russia. These are among the more prominent names in mankind's history. Some of these names are distinguished for their contributions to humanity. The rest are infamous for the terrible fates they brought upon their fellowmen.

These men lived in different times, dwelled in different places. Yet, they shared one thing in common - they all had syphilis.

Syphilis, like any sexually transmittable disease (STD), can strike anyone - famous or unknown, rich or poor. What is known is that it strikes hard on those who lead active sex lives and do not practice safe sex.

What is alarming is that the number of STD cases is fast growing. Syphilis cases, for one, are on a disturbing uptrend the last four to five years. With all the advances in medicine and treatment, coupled with government efforts to curb this increase, such a phenomenon seems difficult to grasp.

In this day and age, sexual freedom is on an upswing - said to be both influenced and peddled by technology (the Internet) and media (movies, print, TV).

Some people do blame the Net and movies for promoting and marketing Sex.

But, whatever the cause, no matter what the reason, syphilis prevention boils down as a personal choice.

The government promotes an alphabet soup solution - ABC, which stands for Abstinence from Sex, Be faithful to your partner, and C, correct Condom usage. To most people, abstinence borders on mission impossible. Hey, if famous people could not do it, what makes the government think that the average Joe can? Being faithful can be doable to most people. But, to the rest of the population condoms represent the best option - they are cheap, readily available, and they come in many types and sizes for everyone.

However, the best condom in your pocket is a useless piece of baggage if you do not wear it when you need it and where you need it. Syphilis would gladly hand you a painful and possibly fatal experience as a consequence of a moment of bad decision. Just ask Al Capone - he who was once Godfather of Chicago’s mafia. They said he was untouchable, but syphilis proved them wrong. The disease shook him down and made him a ghost of his once powerful image - weak and pitiable, and worst of all gave him a slow and painful death.

So for once in your life, do one better than those famous personalities. Wear a condom and practice safe sex.