Most of it was rather sexist in nature and painted the women who spread the disease to soldiers as dirty, vulgar or socially inferior. Enlisted men were given lectures by doctors on how to prevent infection; a hilarious scene from the Australian film Gallipolli depicts one such lecture. Print literature was dropped in bulk from planes, illustrated for those who did not speak whatever language it was printed in (mostly English or Russian), to help reach larger numbers of soldiers.

No doubt it was believed that extreme tactics were needed to help curb the spread of syphilis and gonorrhea, since able-bodied men were needed for the war effort (but naturally more men died in battle than from syphilis at this time, as well as from the influenza outbreak of 1914). Even though it was very likely it was the fault of the men that syphilis was visited upon local women, since prostitution has always been a common accompaniment to war, the same woman infected with disease could easily spread it to a number of partners in a short period of time. Pamphlets frequently showed a young G.I. meeting a young woman, having sex with her and then shortly finding himself riddled with sores. By World War II this educational campaign was sometimes accompanied by films made for the purpose. Soldiers in Korea and Vietnam were also shown such films, which came to be referred to among enlisted men as "Susie Rotten-Crotch" films because of the name of one character in them. A sense of humor pervades some of the "war stories" involving venereal disease; but some of the treatments were painful and dreaded by soldiers. Mercury was still used to treat syphilis as late as WWI, and for gonorrhea urethral rinsings with medicated liquid was a necessary but dreaded treatment.

Soldiers who wanted to avoid syphilis or gonorrhea infection often simply took preventive doses of antibiotics if they could get them, and even though this was successful according to many anecdotal accounts, the army did not routinely give it out without a formal course of treatment. In Vietnam tetracycline was sometimes available to treat, what was known since the first world war as "enlisted men disease.". Some enlisted men believed drinking large quantities of beer helped "flush out" germs and the diuretic effect of alcohol does indeed help prevent some urinary infections, but probably does not prevent syphilis or gonorrhea. Still some G.I.s used to swear by this, calling it the "good-tasting prophylactic" as opposed to the rubbery condoms they usually relied upon.

The use of condoms to prevent sexually transmitted disease was so prevalent that soldiers came up with alternative uses for them. In the damp trenches of WWII, for example, they were used to protect the gunpowder supply kept in guns, which would not fire effectively when damp., The condom was placed over the barrel of the rifle to keep the supply of ammo dry until the soldier was ready to shoot. In the Korean war, soldiers used rubber condoms to store cigarettes to keep them dry, and also occasionally made toy balloons to entertain village children after the enemy combatants had been eliminated or driven out.

In 1937, the U.S. Surgeon General initiated a campaign to educate the masses about venereal disease, and this no doubt helped to encouarge similar education among military troops during the war. Cases of STDs steadily declined in the U.S. through the 1950s, when they started to rise again. By the 1960s, after Korea and before Vietnam, venereal disease continued to be a problem in the United States. Up to 20 different strains of sexually-transmitted disease had been discovered, including varieties of hepatitis, giardiasis, scabies (actually a parasite) and various kinds of herpes. Condoms were widely used for birth control at this time, but also helped stop the spread of STDs when used. In the 1960s when oral contraceptives were introduced, STDs increased dramatically. Since people no longer relied upon condoms as their main source of birth control, because the Pill was so much easier to use and in general more effective, the protection afforded against STDs from condoms was lessened. And the sexual revolution of the late 1960s led to a great deal more casual sex, among both heterosexual and homosexual populations (see our article on the History of Sexual Revolution).

Other factors have led to an increase in venereal disease, right through the late 1980s when safe sex became the operative practice in the wake of the AIDS crisis. Drug-resistant strains of many diseases, including STD's have been steadily emerging in part due to increased use of antibiotics. The phenomenon of so-called "symptomless carriers" is also a problem; this occurs when someone who is infected with an STD continues to spread it because they do not know they are infected, or because they exhibit no symptoms their partners do not consider the risks. The increased mobility of our population also leads to increased transmission of STDs. In his well-received study of the AIDS outbreak in the U.S., And the Band Played On, author Randy Shilts theorizes that AIDS first entered the U.S. on boats that came to New York Harbor from distant ports, to celebrate the Bicentennial in 1976. A lack of education on public health issues has also been blamed, and campaigns in schools in the 1970s which were largely successful have been dropped in many areas these days because of increased pressure from religious groups who consider sex education immoral.

In 1998, concerned over the rise of STDs in addition to AIDS, such as genital herpes, the human papilloma virus (which can lead to cervical cancer in women), and chlamydia, especially among teenagers, the Centers for Disease Control embarked upon a nationwide public outreach campaign to try and stem this nationwide epidemic. University campus health centers began running voluntary but random STD testing among student populations to attempt to help reduce the high rates of infection. Modeled upon the highly-visible (and highly successful) advertising campaigns in Great Britain that recommended condom use, TV and print ads began to appear that tried to educate with clear, bold and sometimes controversial messages. Unfortunately, the public health efforts to fight STDs have been met with a great deal of antagonism from the religious right. President Clinton's appointed Surgeon General was forced to resign in disgrace when she came under fire for recommending that schools teach masturbation as an acceptable form of sexual activity to help prevent pregnancy and disease. The distribution of condoms in schools has also been attacked. Apparently the opponents of sex education believe that by merely preaching that abstaining from sex is the only way to prevent pregnancy and STDs, they will somehow scare millions of teenagers away from having sex. Isn't it better to educate these young people to help protect themselves from these consequences? Clearly the abstinence message is not working.

A recent surge of HIV infection in the United States has been linked to increased use of crystal meth: an addictive recreational drug manufactured in amateur labs. The drug can create intense sexual sensation, and its users report losing the ability to make sensible decisions governing their sexual behavior while under its influence. "Meth parties" are becoming popular in many cities and it is predicted that a concomitant rise in AIDS infections will follow. Most major urban areas have been steadily increasing their use of visible ad campaigns to help combat this newest twist in the struggle to reduce the spread of STDs, and the very serious HIV in particular. Rates of AIDS infections had steadily dropped through the 1990s, but are now on the rise again, because the younger generations who are now sexually active have not grown up beneath its shadow, or in a world where safe sex was the order of the day. Meanwhile, new strains of HIV have been discovered that may prove resistant to the miraculous drug cocktails that have allowed many infected with the virus to live productive lives, whereas 20 years ago, HIV was almost always a sure death sentence. If these new strains take hold in the general population, we could have another epidemic on our hands. It does not help that the current government administration supports the elimination of sex education in schools. It is up to compassionate, enlightened individuals to fight against the conservatism that seeks to endanger the public health by withholding the truth about the dangers of STDs. Teach safe sex!