The impulse to multiply is neither greater nor less than in the past when marriages generally occurred earlier.  Fortunately it is weaker in the female than in the male.  There are those who believe that the male must exercise it if he would achieve his full strength of mind and body.  Certain political and philosophic sects take cognizance of this belief and advocate legalized provision for the gratification of the sex impulse even to the extent of providing for the destruction of the lives of the unborn.

The most pernicious of the false beliefs regarding physiological necessity are as follows:—­

1.  That a life of sexual continence is not consistent with the best physical health.

2.  That the exercise of the sex function is necessary to the full development and preservation of “manly power,”—­the power of procreation.

3.  That the sexual impulse in man is so imperious that it is impossible to control it and, therefore, a sexually continent life cannot be expected of man.

4.  That, therefore, the moral standard which we apply to woman cannot be applied to man.

To correct these erroneous beliefs about the sex function, Dr. M.J.  Exner brought together the testimony of the foremost medical authorities of the United States.  He drew up a statement regarding sexual continence, and submitted it to leading physiologists for criticism so as to bring its phraseology wholly within the requirements of scientific precision.  It was then submitted for endorsement to leading medical authorities throughout the country.  The ready and hearty response of 370 of these men in endorsing the declaration leaves no doubt as to the conviction of the leading men of the medical profession on this question.  The declaration is as follows:—­

“In view of the individual and social dangers which spring from the widespread belief that continence may be detrimental to health, and of the fact that municipal toleration of prostitution is sometimes defended on the ground that sexual indulgence is necessary, we, the undersigned, members of the medical profession, testify to our belief that continence has not been shown to be detrimental to health or virility; that there is no evidence of its being inconsistent with the highest physical, mental and moral efficiency; and that it offers the only sure reliance for sexual health outside of marriage."[1]

The erroneous beliefs concerning physiological necessity have been propagated chiefly on the authority of advertising medical fakers, whose business depends on misrepresentation and deceit, men whose methods exclude them from the ranks of reputable physicians.  They are also taught by those within the ranks of the profession who are ignorant or unscrupulous or both, and who for the most part have no higher incentive in their profession than the pursuit of the dollar.  The teaching of these men is in most cases more an expression of their own vicious habits than of real conviction.  Both wholly misrepresent the teaching and attitude of the great majority of physicians who constitute the reputable body of the profession.