The Contagious Diseases Acts and their Impact

Question 1

When were each of the Contagious Diseases Acts passed?

Answer 1

1864, 1866 and 1869

Question 2

Where were the 1864 CDA implemented?

Answer 2

In garrison towns and ports.

Question 3

What did the 1864 CDA allow?

Answer 3

Police were authorised to arrest women on the suspicion of them being prostitutes and have them forcibly medically examined.

Question 4

What happened to women found to have venereal diseases as a result of the 1864 CDA?

Answer 4

They could be detained for up to 3 months for treatment.

Question 5

Was the 1864 CDA popular in Parliament?

Answer 5

The Acts passed through easily but there is a suggestion that this was due to ignorance of the MPs.

Question 6

Why is it suggested that the MPs were ignorant about the impact of the 1864 CDA?

Answer 6

Because a similar sounding bill, the ‘Contagious Diseases Bill, that affected animals to control foot-and-mouth disease in cattle had just been passed.

Question 7

Why could it be argued that the first CDA worsened the spread of venereal diseases?

Answer 7

Some women just moved further afield in unregulated areas to avoid being arrested therefore spreading diseases further.

Question 8

What could happen to a woman if she refused examination?

Answer 8

She could be thrown into prison after a trial in which she had to prove she was virtuous.

Question 9

How did the 1866 CDA extend the terms of the first act?

Answer 9

1. Prostitutes in naval ports and garrison towns were now subject to three-monthly internal examinations.
2. Suspected prostitutes within 10 miles of these towns were now to be regularly examined.

Question 10

How did the 1869 CDA extend the terms of the previous 2 acts?

Answer 10

1. Extended the catchment area to cover 18 districts and 15 miles of the area surrounding them.
2. The time a woman could be held in hospital increased to 9 months.

Question 11

In what way did the legislation improve conditions for prostitutes in protected areas?

Answer 11

Infected women sometimes travelled voluntarily to protected regions to receive free medical treatment.

Question 12

How did frequent checks and timely treatment improve the health of prostitutes?

Answer 12

1. Reduced the cases of premature death by venereal disease.
2. Reduction in scabies (caused constant scratching around the anal and genital regions) - treatment for this was very popular among prostitutes.

Question 13

What were given to prostitutes upon release?

Answer 13

Certificates to prove they were disease-free. These became valuable assets as women who had them could charge clients more.

Question 14

When were women removed from the register?

Answer 14

If they married or entered full-time employment. This was good as it meant they were not permanently outcast from society but also meant disease could still spread.

Question 15

How did the acts improve the health of the army?

Answer 15

Reduced hospital admission rates for syphillis within the army. In protected areas, 37 for every 1000 soldiers were hospitalised with the disease, down from 194 for every 1000.

Question 16

What did the acts make it harder for women to do?

Answer 16

They made it harder for women to leave prostitution. Some women’s rescue organisations refused to care for women from government hospitals as they opposed the Acts.

Question 17

Why were improvements on health limited?

Answer 17

There were no checks on men within the armed forces. This meant that diseases were contained rather than eradicated.

Question 18

Where did most of the evidence about the impact of the acts come from?

Answer 18

The 1871 Royal Commission which only interviewed ‘respectable’ witnesses like Anglican ministers and doctors (not the women themselves).

Question 19

Who is a key example of the innocent women who were falsely accused?

Answer 19

Mary Percy who was a singer falsely accused of being a prostitute. The damage to her reputation meant she was black-listed at music halls and she committed suicide in 1875.

Question 20

What was the growing feeling in Britain towards prostitutes?

Answer 20

That they were victims. Yet the acts appeared to place all the blame on women for the ‘problem’ of male sexuality and vice. The acts were increasingly seen as immoral and unfair.

Question 21

What was the treatment of diseases hampered by?

Answer 21

Poor medical knowledge e.g. Mercury was commonly used as treatment for syphilis and caused serious side effects including loss of teeth, kidney failure and sometimes fatal poisoning.

Question 22

How did the Acts seem to view prostitution?

Answer 22

Appeared to legalise it by accepting it could not be stopped. The attempts to regulate it were perceived as condoning it which offended many Victorians.

Question 23

How were women in lock hospitals perceived?

Answer 23

As fallen women who had left moral decency. They were often treated severely.

Question 24

What was the general Victorian opinion towards the CDA?

Answer 24

Moderately positive - they saw it as an extension of the Victorian public health policy.