"Vixen or Virtuous: Depicting Women in WW2 Public" Topic

… Health Campaigns

"Due to a lack of awareness and modern medicine, venereal diseases broke out amongst servicemen during WW2. This brought about significant problems for both physical manpower and wartime morale. It prompted public health campaigns that sought to educate men on the risks of unprotected, anonymous sex. However, they targeted women in WW2 with propagandist messaging that positioned them in highly polarized ‘vixen' or ‘virtuous' roles. Here is an overview of the depiction of women in WW2 public health campaigns.

Public health campaigns have a long, rich history and remain to this date an instrumental tool of social reform. They were implemented to improve public health and control the spread of imminent health threats such as infectious disease, which without intervention, posed devastating consequences to society. Whilst they involve the strategic dissemination of particular information or ideals to address the mass public, they can also be manipulated and used in such a way to target specific groups of people. These groups are perceived by the relevant authorities as vulnerable, or at-risk, to certain health risks. As such, they are an effective and highly-malleable means of communication routinely wielded by governments whereby the promotion of good and stable public health is within their best interests…"

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Armand

Interesting!

Happy for that my friend…

Armand

Great article showing the memes of the time. It finished just as it was getting interesting (we have all been there as lads, on a connected theme).

They were very coy about suggesting, but not stating, that most of the ladies represented were "professionals" and almost guaranteed to pass on summat horrific. Syphilis is still about and a horrific disease, even in the post Penicillin era. I saw many cases with hearing loss. The old GC is now multi-antibiotic resistant and tonsillitis was a surprise to me when first encountered. No-one knew about chlamydia back then, and the infertility it caused. Thank God we did not have HIV before the early 80s!

The weird idea is the evil diseased temptress and the innocent young male overseas. God, I am glad I am nearly 70. It was so much easier in the late 60s, early 70s….and safer.

Thanks my good friend…

Armand