[Report 1949] / Medical Officer of Health, St Helens County Borough.

  • St. Helens (Merseyside, England). County Borough Council.
Date:
1949
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1949] / Medical Officer of Health, St Helens County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    2. Contact Tracing* Cases of Venereal Disease of less than one year’s infection, which received treatment at the St. Helens Special Treatment Centre during 1949. i Disease Total No. of cases Soui rce of Infection Marital Friend Pick-up Street Public House Other sources (or not divulged) Male Clinic : Syphilis . Gonorrhoea .. . Female Clinic : Syphilis . Gonorrhoea . 11 21 5 9 2 4 1 3 1 4 1 2 6 6 5 2 4 5 Totals . 46 10 6 8 11 11 (Included in the above figures are one male syphilis case, and six male and one female gonorrhoea cases, who reside outside St. Helens). There are many difficulties in connection with contact tracing. As can be seen from the above figures, the greatest number of sources of infection in male cases of venereal disease is from “ pick-ups.” So far as can be ascertained only two of the “ pick-ups ” (both gonorrhoea) were prostitutes. The female cases are more reluctant to divulge the sources of infection, and in 4 cases of syphilis and 5 cases of gonorrhoea in females no information could be obtained. It must also be realised that in general, the patients’ statements are not always reliable. 3. The following list of geographical sources of infection shows that cf those identified a substantial proportion originated outside St. Helens. 1 Town, etc. Syphilis Gonoi Thoea M. F. M. F. St. Helens . 4 — 4 2 Marital . 2 1 4 3 Liverpool . 2 _ 5 Oldham . 1 ■ Lincoln . 1 1 — — '' Casual on Road • . — — Not stated . — - 4 — 3 Blackpool . . Whl'ston . — — 2 2 1 Garswood . . — — 1 1 1 Bolton . — — ■ Southport . ■ Manchester. 1 4. Follow-up Work. The problem of following-up cases who have defaulted in treatment or * observation is dealt with by correspondence and personal visits by the Female and Male V.D. Welfare Officers.