Nursing, Public Health, and Sexually Transmitted Infections (20th century)

The 20th century was a remarkable period in contemporary history on all levels of individual and collective life, with two world wars marking its first half.  During wartime, health and disease issues affect all aspects of human life and become paramount, prompting the involvement of all health professions. Several battles for healthy living are fought during wartime, engaging physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and (other) health policy theorists. 

In addition to the dead, wounded, and disabled, one of the main problems during wartime is undoubtedly the disruption of sexuality caused by the military context and subsequent social breakdown. Out-of-wedlock pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections became particularly relevant issues. 

In the second half of the 20th century, HIV emerged, and syphilis resurfaced after being considered eradicated. Due to their similarities, syphilis and HIV raise fundamental questions about sexuality and public health.

First, our study will analyze the prevention measures implemented by health authorities to prevent and treat sexually transmitted infections, both individually and collectively. Second, we will conduct a comparative analysis of health and sex education in Portugal, Spain, and Brazil, examining the legislation and its historical evolution, as well as the introduction of the gender perspective.

Sex education provides individuals with the information, tools, and motivation necessary to experience sex and sexuality in a healthy way. It is important to analyze the implications of gender in sex education because sexuality encompasses personal relationships between genders, forms of social organization, and the social regulation of reproduction. Sex education is essential for developing sexual notions from a critical gender perspective.

Our study will conduct a survey of sources (20th-century contemporary works), supporting bibliographies, and iconographies related to syphilis and HIV infection.

- Estudar a história dos cuidados profiláticos, educacionais e terapêuticos das doenças venéreas no século XX e contextualizar o papel da enfermagem.

- Análise comparativa do suporte legal sobre saúde e educação sexual em Portuga, Espanha e Brasil tendo em conta o papel de género.

  • Sociedade Interdisciplinar de História da Saúde (SIHS)
  • Centro de Estudos Interdisciplinares do Século XX, da Universidade de Coimbra (CEIS20)
  • Project Information

    • Start Date

      01/01/2019

    • Completion date

      Em desenvolvimento

    • Structuring project

      History and epistemology of health and nursing

    • Thematic line

      Education and development of the discipline

    • Keywords
      • : história
      • doenças venéreas
      • cuidados de enfermagem
      • profilaxia social
      • campanhas sanitárias
    • Project Team
      • Paulo Joaquim Pina Queirós RI
      • Aliete Cristina Gomes Dias Pedrosa da Cunha Oliveira
      • Maria Angélica de Almeida Peres