"We Have Met the Enemy and He is Ours'

Venereal disease prevention poster, presumably the seventh page of a book that has been torn out. A black and white illustration depicts a group of men in a rowboat, with the central figure ( Commodore Perry), pointing to some ships in the distance.Perry was the man who said "We Have Met the Enemy and He is Ours'. Further text urges the viewer to control themselves, and not bring VD home following the end of the war. It reads: 'Don't let him do what the Hun failed to do.' Even though the war had ended, the complex task of demobilisation, and bringing the men home, meant that VD continued to be a threat. The posters produced by the Social Hygiene Division were a breakthrough in preventive medicine - previous to the war, venereal diseases were rarely discussed, and there were limited medical resources in the United States for the treatment of those suffering from them. This poster was no. 7 in a series of venereal disease prevention posters. At the beginning of the twentieth century venereal disease was a prevalent concern for social health organizations. The social stigma attached to these diseases prevented most people from discussing or addressing means of treatment. In 1913, at a conference in New York, several organizations dedicated to fighting prostitution and venereal disease joined together to form the American Social Hygiene Association (ASHA). The association was established to stop the venereal disease epidemic by educating the public about sexually transmitted infections, working to break down the social stigma attached to VD, and encouraging high moral standards. ASHA's early worked focused on education and awareness efforts within the armed forces. ASHA worked with the US War Department during the First World War when VD occurrences surged among soldiers. Their efforts included educating soldiers about venereal diseases and their transmission and attempting to eliminate prostitution, which was believed to be the primary vehicle for VD transmission among the armed forces. Due to its contribution to the war effort, ASHA gained national attention and succeeded in creating public awareness of VD.