Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-05-24
|Pre-MaritaI Health
Bill impractical,
Says DR.. H. H. Hazen
Roy Everett Hits
Lack of Education on
Sex in Schools

Opposition to the pending District
pre-marital medical examination
bill and disappointment at the lack
Of sex education in local schools
were voiced by leaders of the Dis
trict Social Hygiene Society at its
annual dinner meeting last night.
DR.. Henry H. Hazen, president
of the society, described the bill
which would require examination
for syphilis, gonorrhea and tubercu-
losis OF all candidates for marriage
here as "impracticable," declaring
its enforcement would give the
Health Department many grand
and gorgeous headaches"
Sex education in the schools was
urged by Ray H. Everett, the So
ciety's executive secretary, who said
I'VE are disappointed that there
isn't more being done in the District
schools to teach children the dangers
of syphilis and gonorrhea." He
said the fact that 1876 children OF
compulsory school age-from to IS
were excluded because of venereal
infection pointed to the need for
such education.
Broader Programs Recommended.
DR.. Ira S. Vile. New York psy-
chiatrist and author, who was guest
speaker at the dinner meeting held
in Barker Hall of the Y. w. c. A..
called for a broadening of the scope
of social hygiene programs to cover
the entire field of human welfare.
1t is not enough. DR.. Vile declared,
for the social hygienists merely to
be concerned with the prevention,
cure and control of venereal disease
He urged more attention ito the
legitimate development of romance
lives" to provision of more adequate
recreation facilities and to the place
OF ethics, morality and religion in
sex education.
In expressing opposition 10 the
pending pre-marital examination
bill, DR.. Hazen said other commun-
tiles had found similar legislation
impracticable and had been Obliged
to resort to simpler measures"
He declared that the amount of
money available for the anti-vene-
real disease campaign should be at
least four times as large as the
approximately $4,000 now available
annually.
Cites Selectee Reflections.
He blamed the lack of funds for
adequate preventive work for the
fact that during the past six
months over 1000 registrants ex-
amined by the selective service sys-
tenn have been disqualified from
military service because of a vene-
real disease"
DR.. Hazen also expressed regret"
at what he termed the poor work
of the social service department of
the second largest venereal disease
clinic in Washington. where the d.
rector refuses to allow her staff to
make any home visits to delinquent
patients" and deplored failure of
the Army to cooperate with the
District to establish early treatment
centers for venereal disease here.
Need for "bolstering the Districts
defense against prostitution" was
stressed by Mr.. Everett. who said
the Capitals record was only fair"
now, while it was good" a few
years ago. The Police Department
is not to blame. he said, because 1t
is undermined.
The following were elected to the
Board of Directors Of the society:
Judge Fay L. Bentley, William C.
Bowen, DR.. George R. Creswell, DR..
Dorothy Boulding -Ferebee. Dr.. Rus
sell J. Fields, Mrs. Maurice H.
Friedman, DR.. William P. Herbst.
Capt Rhoda Milliken. DR.. Winfred
Overholser, Mrs. Eleanor Patterson.
Mrs. Stanley F. Reed. Mrs. Maurice
D. Rosenberg. Carl D. Wells. Mrs.
w. w. Wheeler and G. C. wilkinson.