Deck 15: Sexually Transmitted Infections and Hivaids

Question 1

How will reading this chapter aff ect your own sexual practices? What material has had the biggest impact on you? Why?

Answer 1

Sexually transmitted diseases have a significant impact on one's health and can range from temporary illness to death of an individual. Also, sexually transmitted infections (STI) have significant social implications.
An awareness of STIs, their modes of transmission and how they affect human lives is critical for healthy living. The very nature that STIs are preventable warrants large scale educational programs which will cover all individuals irrespective of their geographical location, educational or economical status.
Hence, sexual practices should be safe and responsible. The biggest impacts of STIs are their mode of transmission and the extent of damage they can cause at an individual and at the population levels.

Question 2

Suppose that your best friend has never heard of chlamydia. What can you tell him or her about the symptoms, long-term risks, diagnosis, and treatment of chlamydia? Should your friend be worried?

Answer 2

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have significant clinical, economical and social implications. Chlamydia is one of the STIs and is caused by bacterial infection. As this is a common infection with high prevalence rates, individuals should be aware of the infection, its causes and treatment options.
Individuals should be careful about contracting Chlamydia infections. The infection can be cured by antibiotics, there is no major need to worry about Chlamydia infection. However, if the infection is not diagnosed and treated soon, it can lead to long-term detrimental effects. These effects include affecting the reproductive structures and other organs such as eyes, joints, etc in both males and females.

Question 3

Suppose that one late night when you are talking to a group of friends, the topic of STIs comes up. In your argument to encourage your friends to use condoms, what can you say about the asymptomatic nature of STIs? The properties of latency? How women are more at risk? How do you think your friends will respond?

Answer 3

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have significant clinical, economical and social implications. It is very important that awareness of STIs should reach all individuals and a concerted effort should be taken to spread the awareness.
The impact of STIs on human health is augmented by the fact that they are transmitted by unsafe sex practices and many can have serious long-term effects or even be fatal.
Several STIs have a long incubation or latency period and can remain asymptomatic thus resulting in faster transmission among individuals. Women are at a greater risk as some of the infectious agents can cause cancers of the cervix. Also, they can transmit the STIs to newborn through pregnancy or breast feeding. Hence, it is imperative that all individuals respond positively to being educated about STIs.

Question 4

Do you think the United States should provide medication to AIDS-infected men and women in sub-Saharan Africa who cannot aff ord it? Or should the United States provide sexuality education on AIDS prevention to those who do not have the virus? How would the money be best spent? Why?

Question 5

Have you ever dated someone with an STI? If so, when did you fi nd out about it? How did you feel? Did it aff ect your sex life? How so?

Question 6

The HPV vaccines offer some protections from genital warts, as well as cervical and other types of cancers. If you have children, would you get them vaccinated? Would you vaccinate both your daughters and sons? Why or why not? At what age do you think you would want your children to be vaccinated and why?