[Report 1942] / Medical Officer of Health, Leicestershire / County of Leicester County Council.
- Leicestershire (England). County Council
- Date:
- 1942
Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Credit: [Report 1942] / Medical Officer of Health, Leicestershire / County of Leicester County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![We had then quite a number of persons who were more concerned that venereal disease should ! not be mentioned than they were that it should be stamped out. In 1933, however, it was con¬ sidered that the term “venereal disease” could appear on public notices, and it did. Things were changing for the better. The public interest in properly advertised lectures on venereal diseases was apparent from the beginning, and the lecture halls were always crowded. Each lecture was accompanied by a lantern slide demonstration showing charts and actual cases. A free discussion always followed I preferred my own set of slides to an obviously acted film with perhaps a title quite unsuited. They had at least the value of realism. Moreover, the slides could be varied to suit the particular audience, whether male, female, or, as on one occasion, mixed. The discussion which followed always proved valuable and demonstrated the desire for education on sex problems. Up to date I have given 180 lectures in my area (76 to civilians and 104 to the services!. The civilian lectures included lectures to factory workers and to various organisations such as the police force and St. John Ambulance Brigade. They also included two to the general prac¬ titioners in the area, given with a view to promoting better understanding and co-operation; between them and the venereal disease department. The cost of this extensive education scheme has been small, being confined mainly to advertisements and the hire of a hall on a few occasions. Now for the lessons gained from lectures given to a civilian audience. To analyse the results more clearly I shall divide civilian lectures into two groups : (a) the freely advertised public lectures, and (b) the lectures to factory workers and various organisations. As far as the freely advertised public lectures are concerned, I believe they did not achieve their real object. Although the halls were well filled, the majority of the audience were made up of middle-aged people, a few past and present patients, a few neurasthenics, some who were morbidly curious, and the people who usually attend public lectures. The young people from all stations of life were not sufficiently represented. On the other hand, the lectures given to factory workers and various organisations were different. Here we had an audience often young and keen for medical knowledge and guidance, and this was encouraging because we know that the ignorance of the eighteens to twenty-fives can be disastrous. The atmosphere was different. They were not slipping into a hall specially chosen for its seclusion. Often the lecture was more or less compulsory. The discussion which followed was intelligent and of great value. War conditions have given me a new outlook on public health education. Now we can assess more accurately the value of compulsory lectures to young and middle-aged men and women. I have no doubt whatever of their value. I only wish that some of you here to-day could have been present at some of the lectures I have given to soldiers, members of the A.T.S., men and women of the A.F.S., girls of the Land Army, and men and women of first aid posts (totalling approximately 20,000 people). The discussion which followed would have convinced you of their value. It is argued by a few that lectures on sex and on venereal diseases do not result in more cases of venereal disease coming to the clinics, but only result in the attendance of a few neuras¬ thenics and non-venereal patients. It is true that we do have some neurasthenics and non- venereals coming as a direct result of lectures. I believe, however, that education has prevented a considerable number of venereal disaese cases in our area. My defaulter rate has fallen and propaganda, among other things, has played its part. By defaulter I mean the case who ceases to attend before the doctor has completed the treatment and tests of cure have been carried out. The ultimate criterion of success of the public lectures - should be a reduction in the new cases. If we launched an extensive campaign of venereal disease education for the young adults of this country, the ultimate criterion of success would be a fall in new cases of venereal disease. Now, a few points on the lecture itself and on the qualifications desirable in the lecturer. Every ] lecture on venereal disease should include the true statement that the ideal preventative against](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b2972594x_0030.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
