The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-05-07
Education in Sex Hygiene.

Recognition of their responsibility
has resulted in a marked awakening
of physicians to their obligations as
leaders and teachers in the science
of keeping well. The essence of pre-
ventive medicine is education, and
physicians, by virtue of their train
ing, experience and ideals, ought to
be leaders and teachers. Yet until
within a few years their response
bilities were not recognized in the
prevention of venereal disease and
education in the hygiene of sex.
The earlier policy of silence and
repression in regard to these mat
tiers is fast changing not only on our
part but on the part of parents and
educators. The sinister menace of
venereal disease can hardly be over
estimated. In the United States TO-
600 males reach early maturity an
nually. At least go per cent, or
100000 of these young men, will at
some time become infected with ven
ereal disease, 20 per cent. before the
age of %, so per cent. before 20, and
over 80 per cent. before they pass
80. This is the morbidity among
males reaching 16 in any one year.
Each succeeding year adds a similar
group to the aggregate.
Syphilis and gonorrhea undoubted-
ly surpass in prevalence all other
infectious diseases combined, and
their immediate and disabling eff
fects fall most heavily on the most
active and productive period of life.
Gonococcus infection alone is re-
sponsible for 80 per cent. of all spec
ial operations on women, and over
so per cent. of all the work done by
psychologists; 80 per cent. or more
of these infected women are left ir-
remediably sterile besides the num-
Der whose offspring are still-born.
premature. weakly, diseased or men
tally defective.
Considering the terrible ravages o.
these diseases and their wide preva-
lence, our effort at preventive meas
ures have been wofully inadequate.
The community and the State assume
immense burdens in the care of vic
Tins of such conditions as deaf mu-
tism. mental effectiveness. general
paralysis, blindness and many others
Yet the prevention of large percen-
tage of these conditions by proven
ton of syphilis and gonorrhea re
ceives but meager attention. II bu
bonic plague had but a fractional per
centage of the incidence of these dis
| eases, all hands would be Joined tC
drive it out. Cholera in a civilized
country today is no social and nation
al menace as venereal disease. We
appropriate great sums to fight Ger
| tain epidemic diseases and to main
tain a rigid quarantine against them
but we are only now beginning e
wage warfare against diseases which
are as dangerous as any epidemic dis
ease and far more dangerous thar
many.
There are various points of attacl
in this problem and various closely re
lated problems. But there is on
point of attack in combating tn,
spread of venereal disease which Il
justly regarded by many experience,
workers as the most vital and strate
gic, and this is the education of tn,
young. There has been an upheava
in pedagogic and social sentiment II
the last few years regarding the ques
ton OF sex-teaching in home, schoo
and college. Conventional prejudic
against such teaching is giving wa.
rapidly, and results are already be
ginning to appear. Educators ar
coming to believe that these subject
have a rational and vital place in tn
educational system.-Journal of Me
dicine.