Venereal Diseases in New Zealand (1922): Report of the Special Committee of the Board of Health appointed by the Hon. Minister of HealthNew Zealand. Committee of the Board of Health
History
Venereal Diseases in New Zealand (1922): Report of the Special Committee of the Board of Health appointed by the Hon. Minister of Health
New Zealand. Committee of the Board of Health
Sexually transmitted diseases -- New Zealand
Wellington Clinic: 40 per cent. of all cases continued treatment till
non-infective, and very few of these were women.
Christchurch Clinic: Men with syphilis, 75 per cent.: men with
gonorrhœa, 98 per cent.: women with syphilis, 50 per cent.: women with
gonorrhœa, 14 per cent.
Dunedin Clinic: In this clinic only thirty-one males suffering from
gonorrhœa were discharged cured: thirty-two absented themselves while
still infective; three female cases remained under treatment till cured,
and six ceased to attend while still infective. Forty male syphilitics
remained till non-infective, and seventy-four ceased treatment before it
was completed. For female syphilitics the figures are four and eighteen.
It will be noted that in each case the proportion of women who attend
till non-infective is much smaller than of men, especially in cases of
gonorrhœa. The reasons for this are probably that owing to anatomical
considerations women infected with venereal disease suffer less pain and
the disease is less obvious than in men. On cessation of the more urgent
and obvious signs and symptoms they stop treatment. Again, it is
probable that the publicity of attending the clinics is felt more by
women than men. A third reason is the prolonged period of treatment
(often extending over many months) necessary to eradicate gonorrhœa in
women. These difficulties could to some extent be mitigated by the
provision of arrangements for women to carry out treatment in their
homes, which would avoid the publicity and loss of time entailed in
attending clinics.
The Committee were impressed with the value of the work done by the lady
patrol in Christchurch, and considers that lady patrols would help
greatly in securing the attendance of women at the clinics. It is
recommended that these patrols should be attached to the Hospital Boards
and that they should be trained nurses. They would be available to give
advice to patients as to treatment in their homes.
The Committee would also draw attention to the very valuable work done
by the Social Hygiene Society in Christchurch, and recommended the
establishment of similar voluntary societies in other centres.
The Committee recommend that all bacteriological and other examinations
required for the diagnosis and treatment of cases of venereal diseases
should be carried out in laboratories of the Department of Health and
public hospitals free of cost, on the recommendation of medical
practitioners.
The Committee made inquiries from competent witnesses as to the present
position of the complement fixation test in gonorrhœa. It appears that
this test has not reached yet such a degree of reliability as to render
it of great diagnostic value, but that it is reasonable to hope that it
may be perfected to such an extent to give it a value in the diagnosis
of gonorrhœa comparable to that of the Wassermann test in syphilis.
SECTION 3.--LICENSED BROTHELS.
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