Analyzing the political culture of the social-democratic Scandinavians, the conservative Germans, and the liberal British, this book charts the interrelation between medicine and sexual morality, and debates the influence of gender, sexuality, and religion on policies geared toward combatting venereal diseases. With in-depth studies of parliamentary discussions covering all of the late 19th and 20th centuries, it answers questions such as How much attention did national legislation pay to medical opinions? How did governments in five Northern European countries act to restrain the spread of venereal disease? and How did legislation in Scandinavian countries differ from German and British legislation? Thorough and informative, this examination will especially interest historians, sociologists, social anthropologists, ethnologists, and medical researchers.