She May Look Clean—But
A smiling young woman fills the frame over the words 'She may look clean—but'. Below, 'pick-ups', 'good time girls' and prostitutes are said to spread syphilis and gonorrhea, and 'You can't beat the Axis if you get VD.' The threat is shown through a face, not a rate, and the whole risk is placed on one category of women.
- Date
- 1943
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- U.S. government wartime venereal-disease prevention campaign (poster file of the Office of War Information, Bureau of Special Services)
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Mixed
- Purpose
- Warn or inform
- Themes
- Health, War and the military
- Event
- World War II
- Techniques
- Fear appealScapegoating
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA 513618, local id 44-PA-172), via Wikimedia Commons, retrieved September 27, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (U.S. government work, per Wikimedia Commons)
U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
Text on the object
SHE MAY LOOK CLEAN—BUT PICK-UPS "GOOD TIME" GIRLS PROSTITUTES SPREAD SYPHILIS AND GONORRHEA You can't beat the Axis if you get VD VDgraphic—9
'VDgraphic—9' is a small series/plate credit printed in the bottom-left corner, not part of the main slogan.
