Presents a story of a girl who contracts gonorrhea. Uses animated charts to show the effects of venereal disease in women. Discusses the role of community in the prevention and control of VD. 03:39:12:10 Sd. VD. Title, credits roll. Doctor in surgery looking through microscope, young woman patient waits. He takes her hand and makes her look at germs through microscope, creepy.

03:40:09:00 CU gonorrhea cells. Peggy asks, ‘Where would I get that?’ when doctor tells her she has gonorrhea. Family doctor sits Peggy down for talk,

03:41:06:00 ‘Gonorrhea is almost always caught through intimate contact, sexual intercourse.’ Peggy lowers her eyes in shame. Doctor is surprised by her naivety, and that she hadn’t been told about STDs at school or by her mother. The mention of her mother upsets Peggy.

03:41:37:00 Peggy scoffs, ‘My mother, I should say not, that would be facing the facts of life. What the facts of life have to do with a girl like me. It couldn’t happen to me. Now, it has happened.’ She gets angry. Doctor reassures her, germs can be destroyed. Peggy’s mother is waiting outside but Peggy says she can’t tell her, she’ll have to go away. Doctor uses intercom to call nurse. Says he’ll tell mother. Tells Peggy to be easy on her, that she’ll appreciate her once she gets to know her. Enter Miss Farnsworth, blonde bombshell, doctor’s nurse. Before Peggy leaves, doctor corners her at door, ‘I want the young man’s name.’ Mrs Parker comes into office and sits. She’s dressed quite conservatively. Asks after Peggy.

00:03:44:39 Doctor, ‘..I’m not sure you’ll want to know.’ He interrogates mother on how close she is to her daughter.

03:45:10:00 Doctor, ‘Have you ever told her of the possible consequences of venereal infection?’ ‘Why certainly not. There are some things a girl like Peggy doesn’t need to know.’ Mother goes into denial about Peggy’s VD. Mother, ‘We’ve given her everything… What more could we have done?’ Doctor gets cross, says, ‘You could have given her the information she needed about herself, her mind, her body and her proper relations with other people.’ He rises. Mrs Parker is duly reprimanded, instantly feels guilty and ashamed. Doctor is pig, comes over and pats her on the back.

03:46:21:00 Cuts to man from Health Department speaking to women’s club. ‘I hope I’ve given you a clear picture of what we in your health department are trying to do to stamp out venereal disease..’ Room filled with middle, upper middle class women, maid serves tea. Mrs Parker inquires of doctor if there is something women can do to help young people. He suggests they study VDs. Small women’s contingent forms and visits Dr Barnes. Mrs Parker feels shame at mention of knowing someone with VD. Barnes brings them to hospital.

03:47:52:00 Lecture by male doctor about syphilis and gonorrhea. Uses chart, silhouette of thin woman. Chart is animated, syphilis in mouth and genital organs, lights up in animation.

03:48:47 Syphilis germs under microscope, part animation. Germs attacking cervix and sore appearing. ‘This sore is called a canker?’ (Sounds like shanker) Diagram of female reproductive organs, cankers can appear anywhere, vaginal wall, lips. Spirochaetales germ.

03:49:43:00 Animated skeleton, disease spreading, cuts to woman covered in spots, look fake.

03:50:20:00 Illustration of back of woman’s head, VO, ‘They may cause hair to fall out.’

03:50:28:00 Silhouette of woman’s head, brain appears, animation of germs attacking brain. VO, ‘In later years this may cause ?, a form of insanity.’ Cuts to insane woman in rocking chair with doll. Germs may attack optic nerve and cause blindness, cuts to blind woman trying to cross road, man comes to aid.

03:50:58:00 Woman using walking sticks because central nervous system was attacked by germs.

03:51:03:00 Animation, heart in body pumping blood, germs attack heart, cuts to woman having heart attack outside house, melodramatic.

03:51:09:00 Back in lecture room, woman asks about cure.

03:51:18:00 Doctor, ‘And remember, a woman has the responsibility not only to herself. An infected mother may infect her unborn child with syphilis…’ Animated illustration of foetus in womb, cloud of disease passes over uterus, foetus may perish or child may be born with congenital syphilis. Treatment up to 5 months of pregnancy is okay. Doctor talks about using condoms without mentioning the word, calls it ‘shield.’

03:52:28:00 ‘The only positive protection is to avoid sexual relations outside of marriage.’ Gonorrhea next. Back to silhouette of woman, diagram of gonococcus, germ that causes disease, looks like coffee bean. May attack glands, urinary tract, cervix. May cause burning sensation and discharge. May spread to Fallopian tubes and ovaries, animated illustration.

03:54:00:00 VO, ‘Gonorrhea is one of the principle causes of sterility in women.’ Organs may have to be removed in severe cases.

03:54:13:00 Back to women. Doctors bond and shake hands. Woman asks about treatment and cost. Doctor Barnes lectures about health department’s free clinics.

03:55:13:00 Barnes introduces women to Mrs Adams? She announces, ‘I think you’ll find that I’m an optimist. I have worked long enough with the young people to realize that if they’re given the proper opportunities and understanding guidance most of them will develop strong characters and good moral fibre.’ She has very odd posture. Talks about preparing girls for adulthood starting at very young age, points to ‘Recreation’ poster. ‘And as they grow older we must teach them personal hygiene-the value of clean bodies and clean minds.’ ‘Civics’ poster. Women listening.

03:56:27:00 CU as she announces, ‘Add to these the influence of home and church and we will give to our young people a firm understanding of why continence is the best personal protection against venereal disease.’ She’s clearly fanatical. Doctor follows up, advocates for abstention too and goes through check list.

03:57:45:00 Into camera, ‘Remember, your health and the health of your children depends on you.’ The End Propaganda-Government-Social Control. Sexism. Blame. Shame. Fault. STDs. VD. Disease-Venereal. Examination-Medical Doctors-Male-Paternalistic-Sexist-Creeps. Government-Federal- Dept of Health. Repression-Sexual. Germs. Motherhood. Animation-Female body-Reproductive System. Sexuality. Symptoms-VD Experts-Male. Responsibility-Mother’s-Women’s. Family-Mother- Daughter. Moral-Christian. eEnds 03:58:06:00