A Sailor Doesn't Have to Prove He's a Man A Sailor Doesn't Have to Prove He's a Man

Contributor(s): United States Navy The History of Medicine Division. Prints and Photographs Collection Publication: United States Navy, [ca. 1942] Language(s): English Format: Still image Subject(s): Sexually Transmitted Diseases Public Health Genre(s): Archival Materials Posters Slides (photographs) Abstract: Responsible masculinity was also a common theme during the Second World War. This illustration of a sailor preventing his friend from pursuing a buxom blonde woman in the background deals with a serious issue in a humorous though chauvinistic manner. Contrasting the image of the woman as sexual temptress with the image of the masculine but moral soldier, the message avoids overtly addressing his sexual behavior by suggesting that, "A sailor doesn't have to prove he's a man!" The urban setting suggests this poster addresses concerns about wayward sailors during shore leave. The poster carries an additional message that, "There's no medicine for regret," which suggests that, while the venereal disease could be effectively treated, the feeling of regret for reckless behavior could not be easily alleviated.. NOTE: Slide of original poster image is slightly blurry. Copyright: This item may be under copyright protection; contact the copyright owner for permission before re-use. Extent: 1 pages NLM Unique ID: 101584655X18 (See in Profiles in Science) Profiles in Science ID: VCBBBX Permanent Link: http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101584655X18 Archival Collection: Visual Culture and Health Posters (Profiles in Science)