b. Command and Staff Efforts.
(1) Guidance versus force. Present day methods of treatment have
eliminated most of the time lost due to STD. Yet, STD continues to command a
disproportionate interest on the part of individuals because of the implication of
wrongdoing which accompanies it. As such, it should be dealt with by concerted
attempts to foster attitudes and promote activities which tend to discourage sexual
promiscuity. These efforts require the interest and combined participation of various
individuals, including commanders, medical officers, chaplains, and special services
personnel. Success in the prevention of sexually transmitted disease requires
coordinated and continuous effort applied in an intelligent, unbiased, and understanding
manner by each commander and his staff. The control of STD will be accomplished by
intelligent leadership, not by misdirected force.
(2) Abuse of oral penicillin prophylaxis. The prophylactic use of penicillin is
not medically effective against gonorrhea, may encourage the development of
increasingly resistant strains. It may also mask the early symptoms of syphilis.
Therefore, it is not looked upon as a desirable means for the prevention of sexually
transmitted disease.
(3) Use of physical inspections. Physical inspection of personnel is not
conducted on a regular basis, but only when ordered by commanders upon medical
advice; for example, if there is reason to suspect that individuals are concealing
infections. Physical inspection must be unannounced to be effective in discovering
gonorrheal infection. All personnel for whom the inspection is intended must be
included.
(4) Use of sexually transmitted disease statistics. In order to keep the
responsible commander informed concerning the amount of STD in his command, the
surgeon or director of medical activities maintains certain monthly statistical data to
include the number of new cases of gonorrhea, syphilis, and other sexually transmitted
diseases, as well as the STD rate per 1,000 per month. These data are included in the
command health report. Great care must be exercised in the use of STD statistics. The
release of STD information when it may be misused, such as to compile indices of unit
morale or commander efficiency, must be avoided. The reporting of individual names
outside of medical channels is prohibited, as this information can be misused to identify
individuals for direct or indirect punishment. This would result in the failure of
individuals to report infections and thus compromise the sexually transmitted disease
control program.
c. Continence and Promiscuity. Continence--the total abstention from sexual
contact--is the only certain means for the avoidance of STD. The enforcement of
continence is not practical; however, promiscuity should be discouraged both from a
moral and health standpoint. If every person indulging in sexual relations would confine
these relations to one partner, any sexually transmitted disease that might be present
could normally be kept within the family and eliminated with treatment.
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