[Sexual abuse of children and venereal diseases: patterns of explanation for gonorrheal infections in children in western european medical discourse 1890-1940].

At the beginning of the twentieth century Western Europe and the USA experienced an increasing interest in combating venereal diseases. Although infections in children with venereal diseases had been registered previously, patterns of explanation for these infections remained opaque. This article analyzes medical discourses with regard to patterns of explanation for gonorrheal infections in children. Although infections with gonorrhea are only possible through sexual contact, the possibility of infections of children through child sexual abuse became suppressed by the pattern of infections through lack of hygiene or in case of notification of the child sexual abuse, became euphemistically depicted.