The Argument in Propaganda

     Another method used to stop the spread of venereally transmitted diseases were propaganda posters. These propaganda posters were persuasive posters distributed to the general public and soldiers serving. Propaganda played a huge role during World War II by promoting nationalism and the war effort. The goal of propaganda addressing venereal disease was to stop the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. This propaganda often blamed women and depicted sexist stances similar to those seen in the rapid treatment centers. These are a few examples of the posters that soldiers and the public would've received during World War II. 

 

     The first poster “She may look clean- but” shows a group of three men, presumably in the army, gazing up at the woman the statement is describing. The poster goes on to use different names to describe the woman as a prostitute followed by the statement "pick-ups, good time girls and prostitutes will spread Syphilis and Gonorrhea". All the blame for the spread of these diseases are put on her. She is made out to be a temptress and the army men her helpless victims.

     The second poster is a woman dressed like little red riding hood with a cigarette in her mouth. She is described as “a bag of trouble syphilis-gonorrhea”. Her identity becomes these diseases in these posters, she is drawn as a visual representation of venereally transmitted diseases. Again, instead of putting responsibility on the men to keep from contracting venereal disease the blame was placed on women for being tempting to men. Responsibility for the spread of the diseases was put on the women (6).

    The third poster does not discuss venereal disease but instead has the caption “loose talk can cost lives.” One of the arguments against prostitutes during WWII was that they were against the war effort, and this poster is depicting that belief. By talking to the woman with lose morals the soldier is risking the war effort because she is not capable of keeping secrets. Through propaganda like this poster the message was sent that women were not to be trusted.