Ciencia y moral en la prevención de las enfermedades venéreas. La Sociedad Mexicana de Profilaxis Sanitaria y Moral, 1908-1923

Abstract

The Mexican Society for Sanitary and Moral Prophylaxis was founded in 1908 for the purpose of fighting against venereal diseases. Unlike previous prevention initiatives that focused on sanitary control of prostitution, the Society promoted the creation of dispensaries for medical care for the sick, and the dissemination of knowledge through lectures and printed propaganda. This article analyzes the ideas that led to the founding of the Society, the main messages which it sought to spread, obstacles and criticism it faced, and the causes that led to its dissolution in 1923. The article shows that science and morality were two core elements that the Society sought to promote, since its members assumed that venereal diseases concerned to public health and morals, and that they could be prevented by the control of the will and passions, and if necessary, treated with the help of qualified physicians.