Venereal Diseases: Confidential Treatment Can Be Obtained Free at the Following Centres - Delay is Dangerous

A large 'VD' monogram over an olive ground announces that confidential treatment is free at listed centres; a blank panel was left for local clinic addresses, and a red arrow points at the yellow slogan 'Delay is Dangerous'. The slogan is the fear-appeal tell: it attaches an unstated danger to waiting, while the practical offer (free, confidential, local) carries the main message.

Propaganda techniques used in this poster

Fear appeal

Date: 1939
Period: Second World War
Made by: Ministry of Health and the Central Council for Health Education; printed for H.M. Stationery Office by Lowe & Brydone Printers Ltd., London
Region: Western and Central Europe
Country: United Kingdom
Medium: Poster
Issuer type: State
Regime: Churchill Government
Leader: Winston Churchill
Audience: Domestic public
Purpose: Warn or inform
Themes: Health, Home front
Event: World War II
Regime: Churchill wartime government
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)
Ministry of Health and Central Council for Health Education, printed for HMSO by Lowe & Brydone Printers Ltd. U.S. National Archives, RG 44, 44-PF-494d.

Text on the object

Original (English) · read from the image, not independently checked

VD
Venereal Diseases
Confidential Treatment
CAN BE OBTAINED FREE AT THE FOLLOWING CENTRES

Delay is Dangerous

CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION AND ADVICE ABOUT VENEREAL
DISEASES AND THEIR TREATMENT CAN BE OBTAINED FREE FROM
THE LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT OR FROM THE MEDICAL ADVISER,
CENTRAL COUNCIL FOR HEALTH EDUCATION, TAVISTOCK HOUSE, TAVISTOCK SQ., LONDON, W.C.1

ISSUED BY THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND THE CENTRAL COUNCIL FOR HEALTH EDUCATION
PRINTED FOR H.M. STATIONERY OFFICE BY LOWE & BRYDONE PRINTERS LTD., LONDON, N.W.10. 51-3154