DEALING WITH STIs
LESSON PLAN · TEACHING SAFER SEX THIRD EDITION
By Amelia Matlack Hamarman, MSEd, MS
Objectives
By the end of this lesson, participants will be able to:
1. Differentiate between facts and myths related to sexually transmitted infection (STI) transmission and management.
2. Identify how factual information about STI transmission and management can be useful to them in their lives.
Rationale
Given that one in four adolescent girls has at least one STI, nearly three out of four 15- to 49-year-olds will have HPV at some point, and one in six people have genital herpes, chances are that all high-school health classes include participants who are living with an STI and many others who will contract an STI at some point. Yet, most high-school sexual health classes focus on preventing STIs before participants become infected. This lesson uses an interactive, competitive game to teach participants facts about STIs that are relevant both for participants who have never had an STI as well as those who have previously had, or currently have, an STI. For participants who are dealing with an STI, increasing their knowledge can help them to better manage their own physical and emotional health as well as reduce their chance of passing their infection to a partner.
