The myth of the femme fatale or "poison women" of the 19th century is believed to be partly derived from the devastation of syphilis, with classic examples in literature including John Keats' La Belle Dame sans Merci.
Myten om femme fatale eller ”ödesdigra kvinnor" under 1800-talet tros delvis härröra från den ödeläggande syfilisen med klassiska exempel i litteraturen bl.a. John Keats La Belle Dame sans Merci.