Oral Sex Link Seen (Press, 11 May 1977)

A report from 11 May 1977 highlights concerns over the increasing incidence of throat gonorrhoea, with some attributing the rise in cases to the popularity of oral sex and the influence of magazines that depict such acts. At the Christchurch V.D. Clinic, statistics indicate approximately one new case of throat gonorrhoea is reported each month, representing about one in every 83 patients treated there. Dr W. M. Platts, a consultant on venereology at the Health Department, expressed that there is a clear increase in throat gonorrhoea cases, particularly within the last two to three years as oral sex has become more common. Dr Platts noted that many patients at the clinic admitted to having engaged in oral sex, including school-age children, indicating a worrying trend among the youth. He suggested that the proliferation of pornographic literature has played a role in this shift. The national secretary of the Society for the Promotion of Community Standards, Miss Patricia Bartlett, echoed these concerns in a letter to "The Press," highlighting a connection between the rise in throat gonorrhoea cases and magazines that promote oral sex. She commended the findings of the Royal Commission on contraception, sterilisation, and abortion, which pointed out the difficulty of establishing a causal relationship but acknowledged the influence of such publications in normalising oral sex. Miss Bartlett expressed disappointment that the Royal Commission did not recommend that the Indecent Publications Tribunal consider the health risks associated with oral sex more seriously when reviewing publications. She critiqued the current standard of what magazines are allowed to be circulated, urging for stricter guidelines concerning the potential medical consequences of the content they endorse. Conversely, Dr R. Campbell-Begg, the Health Department's Deputy Director of Public Health, disagreed with the notion that pornographic magazines were solely to blame for the rise in venereal diseases. He attributed the increase in throat gonorrhoea cases to broader issues of promiscuity and a decline in community standards. It was noted that throat gonorrhoea predominantly affects females and is also occasionally found in homosexuals. This particular condition has only recently gained attention as a medical issue, with American statistics showing it present in 5 per cent of cases at V.D. treatment clinics.

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