World War I disrupted communal and familial monitoring mechanisms and reshaped urban β and, to a lesser degree, rural β sexual practices across Europe.
The mass mobilization of troops increased the demand for prostitutes near military encampments. Recognizing that soldiers would have sex with prostitutes, some belligerent armies opened brothels near garrisons to limit the troops exposure to venereal disease VD. In addition to the opening of brothels to serve the military, there was also an increase in clandestine prostitution, as some soldiers preferred to visit prostitutes outside of regulated brothels.
In , many continental European countries practiced variations on the French regulatory system that sanitation engineer A. A key element of this system was the mandatory regular medical examination of prostitutes, which was meant to limit the spread of venereal disease among their clients.
In contrast, Great Britain , its Dominions , and former colonies continued to prohibit prostitution during the war and forbade their troops to visit brothels on the fighting front. The concentration of soldiers also offered new opportunities for women to have clandestine sex with soldiers.
Civilian and military authorities suspected these women of being infected with particularly virulent forms of VD because they were able to avoid the medical exams that were compulsory for registered prostitutes. Military leaders continued to advocate brothel-based prostitution, because they argued that medical examinations helped to limit the spread of VD. Rates of clandestine prostitution in Great Britain increased dramatically between and because the war created more opportunities for illicit sex.
