种族主义与英属非洲殖民地的梅毒流行及防治

Racism and Prevalence and Prevention of Syphilis in the British African Colonies

19世纪中叶以后,殖民主义导致多种传染病在英属非洲殖民地流行,其中尤以梅毒流行与非洲家庭关系和性关系变化的关联最为密切。英国殖民者担忧梅毒流行影响到健康的非洲劳动力供应,进而危及殖民地经济运转和社会秩序。英国殖民者根据种族主义观念将非洲殖民地的梅毒流行归答于非洲人自身,严重夸大了梅毒流行程度,并将这视作是非洲文化“落后”和“原始”的表现。英国殖民当局采取了一系列梅毒防治措施,诸如强制性的梅毒诊治、社会卫生运动、强化父权权威以及限制非洲妇女涌入城镇等。这些措施深受种族主义观念影响,更多关注的是改变个体行为,而回避了导致梅毒流行的社会经济因素。尽管英国殖民者意图通过梅毒防治措施来强化对于非洲性关系和家庭领域的控制,但是梅毒防治措施的实际执行是零散的、不均衡且不断变化的。到20世纪60年代以后,梅毒不再被认为是非洲面临的严重公共卫生威胁。尽管如此,英属非洲殖民地时期的梅毒防治措施仍然产生了深远而复杂的历史影响。

Since the mid-19^(th) century,the colonialism has led to the spread of various infectious diseases in the British African colonies,among which the spread of syphilis was most closely related to changes of domestic relation and sexual relation in Africa.The British colonists concerned that the spread of syphilis would affect the supply of healthy African labour,thereby endangering the economic operation and social order of the colonies.Based on racist ideas,the British colonists attributed the spread of syphilis in the African colonies to the Africans themselves,seriously exaggerating the extent of syphilis and regarding it as a manifestation of the‘unenlightenment'and‘primitiveness'of the African culture.The syphilis prevention and control measures taken by the British colonial authorities,such as the compulsory syphilis diagnosis and treatment,the social hygiene campaigns,the strengthening of patriarchal authority,and the restriction of the influx of the African women into towns,were deeply influenced by racist ideas and focused more on the changing individual behaviour,while avoiding the socioeconomic factors that led to the spread of syphilis.Although the British colonists intended to strengthen their control over the African sexual relations and the household sphere through the syphilis prevention and control measures,the actual implementation of those measures were fragmented,uneven,and constantly changing,reflecting the tension between the colonial discourse and policy and the medical science.After the 1960s,syphilis was no longer considered as a serious public health threat in Africa.Nevertheless,the prevention and control of syphilis in the British African colonies still had profound and complex historical impacts.