Guard Against VD: Venereal Disease
A bold typographic poster pairs 'VD, Venereal Disease' with an outlined soldier silhouette and the words 'Keep straight, keep sober'. The closing line, 'You owe it to yourself, your womenfolk, your comrades, your country', places the individual's conduct inside widening circles of obligation (identity fusion), with disease the implied threat (fear appeal).
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1939
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- British government poster, printed for H.M. Stationery Office by Lowe & Brydone Printers Ltd., London; artist Abram Games
- Region
- Western and Central Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Churchill Government
- Leader
- Winston Churchill
- Audience
- Own forces
- Purpose
- Warn or inform
- Themes
- Health, War and the military
- Event
- World War II
- Leader
- Winston Churchill
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 44, World War II Foreign Posters, retrieved October 3, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (UK Crown copyright, 50 years from publication, expired before 1996; no URAA restoration)
British government poster, printed for H.M. Stationery Office by Lowe & Brydone Printers Ltd., London; artist Abram Games. National Archives and Records Administration, WWII Foreign Posters (NAID 44266604, 44-PF-208d).
Text on the object
GUARD AGAINST VD VENEREAL DISEASE KEEP STRAIGHT KEEP SOBER YOU OWE IT TO YOURSELF · YOUR WOMENFOLK YOUR COMRADES · YOUR COUNTRY A. GAMES R.E. PRINTED FOR H.M. STATIONERY OFFICE BY LOWE & BRYDONE PRINTERS LTD., LONDON, N.W.10. 51-1502 P.R.2. No 46.
