Prostitution.
Considering the sources of venereal infection and the best possible methods of control of venereal peril, one strikes at once the sinister problem of prostitution. Prostitution is undoubtedly the main source of venereal infection, but the term prostitution should be taken broadly. There are two kinds of prostitution: one is openly organized in red-light district, tolerated by society, and regulated by the police; and another, secret, clandestine, practised by thousands of women and girls in large towns, women who do not make a living from the “life of shame,” but secretly indulge in illicit sexual intercourse for a side income or presents, while trying to keep up an appearance and social standing of a “respectable” woman. Which kind of prostitution is more dangerous to morals and health is not settled.
Many medical and social authorities believe that a woman secretly prostituting herself is more dangerous and more liable to spread venereal infection than an open registered prostitute, just because she is secret, and does not have to submit to medical inspection at any time. Yet it must be admitted that the medical inspection of houses of prostitution has failed to bring about the expected results and to give protection from venereal infection. It is well established that every prostitute is infected with gonorrhea or syphilis, and mostly with both, and that they practically at all times carry this disease in active or latent form. The degree to which they can transmit a venereal infection to a man depends mostly on the stage of the disease in the prostitute at the time of her visit by a man; that is, one time danger is greater than at another, but at no time the perfunctory medical examination given to prostitutes as it is conducted under police regulations can give the slightest guarantee of safety from venereal infection. All it can establish and claim is that no acute or active symptoms or lesions have been found on examination, and that there is no urgent necessity to move this woman to the hospital as an evident and prolific source of venereal infection. In other words, medical inspection can single out and isolate a few of the most flagrant and most evident cases of venereal diseases, but the women not excluded by medical examination from plying their trade are just as able to carry over venereal infection to a man as their sisters removed to the hospital. In fact, the reduction in the number of venereal infections because of isolation of a few most flagrant cases is so slight, and the increase in the number of venereal infections due to increase in numbers of exposures by men, who are misled into a feeling of security by alleged medical inspection, is so great that many medical authorities and sanitarians consider medical inspection of houses of prostitution useless and even harmful.
As mentioned above, a “secret” prostitute and private lady friend is not a bit more safe and secure from transmitting venereal infection, and in many cases, contrary to the expectations and beliefs of men, are much more dangerous and treacherous in this respect. It is almost humorous, if it were not so pathetic, to see how dumbfounded and shocked are these youthful transgressors of the forbidden path, when a physician declares that the exceptional favors of their lady friend resulted in a bad case of gonorrhea or chancre. They are sincerely indignant at the reflection on the honor of their affinity, and are almost ready to doubt the competency of the physician, until a microscopical examination and the subsequent course of the disease convinces them of the sad truth. On occasions of this character a man as a rule is always inclined to blame the woman and accuse her of gross deception. Such attitude is entirely wrong, and is based on the ignorance of clinical facts. The truth of the matter is that while a man can always tell when something is the matter with him, and can always notice or perceive some evidence of the venereal disease, such as a discharge, pains, sores, etc., a woman hardly ever is aware of her disease. In fact, women feel pains, discomfort, and suffer acute distress only in the acute stage of venereal diseases, at the very beginning of the infection. But after this acute period is over, they may sincerely believe themselves well, as no pain or any symptom unusual for them calls their attention to it. Therefore the noble indignation of these trespassers on forbidden ground is unjust and unwarranted, and the only party to blame is their own ignorance and lack of self-control.
The only sure way to avoid a venereal exposure is to avoid the exposure and to keep away from the danger zone.