Apart from the venereal disease among those who indulge in promiscuous intercourse, there are many cases in which innocent wives are infected by their husbands, and other cases (not so frequent) of innocent husbands being infected by their wives.
Children suffer innocently from venereal disease, not only by inheritance from infected parents, but by accidently coming in contact with the germs on towels, &c., which have been used by a patient. There are also cases which come before the Courts where disease has been conveyed directly in crimes of violence by sexual perverts.
The free clinics in the chief centres are conducted by experts, and are doing good work. Their influence for good is greatly impaired, however, by the fact that a proportion of the male patients and the majority of the female patients leave off treatment before they are cured. As the law stands there is no power to compel them to continue treatment, and in many cases they resume promiscuous intercourse and spread the disease.
Evidence has been given of other cases, some of them of a very shocking character, in which persons suffering from venereal disease are not seeking medical treatment and are communicating the disease to others. As the law stands at present there is no power to restrain them from such conduct or to compel them to receive medical treatment.
The Committee stress in the strongest terms the duty of moral self-control.
They urge the cultivation of a healthier state of public opinion. The stigma at present attached to sufferers from venereal disease should be transferred to those who indulge in promiscuous sexual intercourse.
Parents have a great responsibility as regards the instruction and training of their children so as to safeguard them against the dangers resulting from ignorance of sexual laws. There is too little parental control generally in New Zealand. The Committee recommend the training of teachers, and provision for giving appropriate instruction in schools.
Classification and, where necessary, segregation of mentally defective adolescents is recommended.
The following medical measures for preventing and combating the disease are recommended:—