Syphilis and gonorrhea don’t get much press anymore.
Both syphilis and gonorrhea can be effectively treated, and rates of other sexually transmitted diseases like chlamydia, herpes, and HPV are much higher. But both diseases still exist and can still cause major health problems if left untreated. Untreated gonorrhea can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, epididymitis, and problems with joints and heart valves. Untreated syphilis is horrific, causing disfiguring skin lesions, heart, and neurological complications.
Both these diseases were hugely problematic during World War I and World War II. Once penicillin was shown to be effective against both diseases (though it is now largely ineffective against gonorrhea) in 1943, things got better, but by that time many members of the military had already had to deal with these diseases.
During World Wars I and II, military leaders strove to educate recruits about the dangers of unprotected sexual activity. In an age before mass media, and with many very young recruits who had never left home before enlisting, educators had their work cut out for them. The methods used may seem heavy-handed and sexist today, but STDs caused serious problems during wartime.
Syphilis and War
No one is quite sure whether syphilis originated in the Americas or Europe. It was present in the Americas before European contact, and some believe that crewmen returning to Europe from the Americas brought it back to Europe. Others say syphilis already existed in Europe but wasn’t recognized until after Christopher Columbus’s voyages. Regardless, the first written account of an outbreak in Europe was in the 1490s in Naples during a French invasion. It wasn’t until 1905 that the organism that causes gonorrhea was identified, and 1910 that the first effective drug (an organo-arsenic compound called Salvarsan) was produced.
Gonorrhea: “The Perilous Infirmity of Burning”
One of the first reliable written accounts of a gonorrhea outbreak was a notation in the Acts of the English Parliament in 1161. At that time, Parliament passed a law attempting to reduce the spread of “the perilous infirmity of burning,” a condition whose description is consistent with gonorrhea. In France a century later, laws were passed banishing those who had the disease. Gonorrhea epidemics were likely an important factor in secularizing medical practice in Medieval Europe in the interest of public health. By the late 19th century, colloidal silver was used to treat gonorrhea until the advent of modern antibiotics.
STDs During the World Wars
Sexually transmitted diseases took a major toll on US troops during World War I. The Army discharged more than 10,000 soldiers and lost 7 million man-days of work due to STDs. Only the great flu pandemic of 1918-1919 accounted for more lost duty days than STDs during the First World War.
The military distributed condoms regularly by the early 20th century, but this usually wasn’t enough to keep outbreaks under control. By the time of World War II, military men were subject to anti-STD propaganda in the form of lectures, posters, and even movies.
One movie shown to troops in 1942 was titled U.S.S. VD: Ship of Shame. The plot revolves around a torpedo-damaged destroyer escort vessel full of men anxious to meet up with women in a port city. The ship’s doctor, concerned about reports of rampant venereal disease in the port, tries to educate the men on abstinence and condoms. Few men listen, and hit the shores looking for “loose” women. One soldier manages to find a “nice girl,” who turns out to have an STD anyway. Back on the open sea, the ship’s crew not only must contend with a dangerous mission, but they have to do so with a crew sickened by STDs.
Educational posters aimed at military men during World War II often featured beautiful artwork that nonetheless blamed women for the strategic disadvantages caused by STD outbreaks. One famous poster features the face an angelic young brunette looming over a trio of military men with a caption reading, “She may look clean – but pick-ups, ‘good time’ girls, prostitutes spread syphilis and gonorrhea. You can’t beat the Axis if you get VD.” You can view a selection of similar posters here and here.
In 1940, the War Department, under the direction of the Surgeon General of the Army, produced a brochure for the troops titled “Sex Hygiene and VD – Venereal Disease.” It was designed to educate all new recruits on sexuality and sexually transmitted diseases, warning “The only sure way [to protect yourself from syphilis and gonorrhea] is to stay away from women.”
STD Education Today
Sexually transmitted diseases among members of the military have been a major area of concern throughout US military history. Screenings are done at the time of enlistment, and public health officials work with the military to help educate members of the military about STD risk and prevention. But much of today’s education relies on web-based resources and public health officials working directly with military members and people in surrounding communities.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages awareness of how STDs are spread, how to prevent them, and how they are treated. Vaccinations are available against hepatitis B and HPV, and sexually active people are encouraged to be tested for STDs, maintain monogamous relationships, and use latex condoms to reduce STD transmission.
Of course, everyone, in the military or not, should educate themselves on sexually transmitted diseases. Syphilis and gonorrhea are far easier to treat than they used to be, but the CDC estimated in 2013 that there were more than 110 million STDs among men and women in the United States. Some of them – notably herpes, HPV, and HIV – are treatable, but are lifelong conditions. There is now a vaccine against HPV, but it is most effective if it’s given before a person becomes sexually active. You owe it to yourself, your partner, and children to be educated about STDs and take precautions to avoid STD transmission.
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Second photo courtesy of The British Library, no known copyright restrictions.
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