What You Should

Know About STIs

Fact or Bluff

The following statements are concerning

sex, STI, and Pregnancy. Tell whether the
statement is a fact or a bluff.
1.You can have a sexually transmitted
infection and be unaware you have it.
2. Once you have been treated for STI,
you get immunity from it and cannot
acquire the same infection.
Fact or Bluff

3. Proper use of condoms, prevents

any form of STI
4. Abstinence is 100% effective i
preventing pregnancy.
5. Syphilis when left untreated can
cause deafness and death later.
6. Kissing is the safest sexual activity
Fact or Bluff

7. A girl will not get pregnant the first

time she has sexual intercourse.
8. Girls don’t masturbate.
9. Peeing after sex reduces the risk of
STI and pregnancy.
10. You can have HIV from tattoos
and body piercings.
Abby’s Story

After noticing some vaginal discharge and

pain in her lower stomach, Abby was
diagnosed with chlamydia. At first, she was
shocked, embarrassed, and angry. She
thought STDs didn’t happen to girls like her.
She’d only had sex with one guy, a
boyfriend whom she loved and who’d sworn
she was his first. It hadn’t even crossed her
mind to talk with him about getting tested.
Abby’s Story

Besides, they’d been pretty safe, using

condoms all but a few times. Now she
realizes that the choices she made could
affect her life for years to come: The doctor
said that even though she was being
treated now, a chlamydia infection as
advanced as hers could cause fertility
problems (trouble getting pregnant) later in
life. Abby wishes she knew then what she
knows now.
A Message to Abby
 OBJECTIVES

■demonstrates
understanding of STDs and
STD prevention
■demonstrates the ability to
use decision-making skills to
enhance health
What is an STI?

■ STI stands for sexually transmitted

infection.
■ Sometimes, an STI is referred to as an
STD, a sexually transmitted disease.
■ An STI is a disease that is passed from
one person to another through sexual
activity.
■ Some STIs can be transmitted through
nonsexual means as well.
What causes an STI?

■ STIs, like other diseases, are caused

by microscopic organisms that are not
normally in your body.
■ They can be caused by bacteria,
viruses, or parasites.
Why Is This Important?

■ STIs can cause a variety of symptoms,

from discomfort, to permanent bodily
damage, to death.
■ AIDS, an STI, is the leading cause of
death worldwide among those age 15-
59.
■ STIs can be passed from a pregnant
mother to her child.
How can I avoid getting
an STI?
■ Be safe and be smart!

■ Avoid unsafe situations

■ Educate yourself about STIs
Ready to learn more?

■ The following slides will tell you more

about specific STIs.
■ See if you can spot any general
trends.
Bacterial STIs

A photomicrograph of the bacterium that causes syphilis.

Courtesy of: the CDC Public Health Image Library
Chlamydia

■ Caused by the bacterium Chlamydia

trachomatis. (note: bacterium is the
singular form of bacteria)
■ Symptoms (primarily in males, appear
1-3 weeks after infection):
– genital discharge
– painful urination.
■ Can be cured with antibiotics.
Chlamydia

■ Can lead to pelvic inflammatory

disease, which can cause infertility in
women.
■ 3 million new cases a year (the most
common bacterial STI).
Chlamydia

Courtesy of: the CDC Public Health Image Library

This is a picture of the bacteria that cause chlamydia, taken using

a light microscope.
Chlamydia
Gonorrhea

■ Caused by the bacterium Neisseria

gonorrhoeae.
■ Symptoms (primarily in males, appear
1 to 14 days after infection):
– genital discharge
– painful urination.
■ Can be cured with antibiotics.
Gonorrhea

■ Can cause pelvic inflammatory

disease, which can cause infertility in
women.
■ 700,000 new cases in the U.S. each
year.
Gonorrhea

Courtesy of: the CDC Public Health Image Library

This is a picture of the bacteria that cause gonorrhea, taken using

an electron microscope.
Gonorrhea

MALE FEMALE
Gonorrhea

ANUS MOUTH AND THROAT

Gonorrhea

Courtesy of: the CDC Public Health Image Library

This is a picture of the bacteria that cause gonorrhea, taken using

an electron microscope.
Syphilis

■ Caused by the bacterium Treponema

pallidum.
■ Can be cured with antibiotics, but any
damage done to the body cannot be
reversed.
Syphilis

■ Develops in three stages over several

years:
1. (3-4 weeks after infection) a sore forms near
genitalia or near the mouth.
2. (2-6 months after infection) a red rash forms
on the face hands, or feet.
3. (later) serious brain and heart complications.
■ About 32,000 cases in America every year.
Syphilis

Courtesy of: the CDC Public Health Image Library

This is a picture of the bacterium that causes syphilis, taken using

a light microscope.
 Syphilis

Courtesy of: the CDC Public Health Image Library

These images show symptoms associated with the various stages of syphilis.
The picture on the left shows a sore associated with primary syphilis. The
picture in the middle shows a rash associated with secondary syphilis. The
picture on the right shows damage to the leg resulting from tertiary (late
stage) syphilis.
Viral STIs

An electron micrograph of the human immunodeficiency virus.

Courtesy of: the CDC Public Health Image Library
AIDS

■ Caused by human immunodeficiency virus

(HIV).
■ Symptoms (do not emerge for several
years):
– Fatigue
– rapid weight loss
– night sweats
– whitish coating on the tongue
– purplish growths on the skin.
AIDS

■ HIV attacks the immune system,

making you susceptible to other
infections and diseases.
■ Antiviral drugs can slow the progress
of the disease, but they cannot cure
an infected person.
■ 900,000 people are currently infected
in the U.S.
AIDS

Courtesy of: the CDC Public Health Image Library

On the left is a photo of HIV virus particles, taken using an

electron microscope. The patient on the right has oral hairy
leukoplakia, which is caused by a different virus. People with AIDS
becoem more succeptible to this and other infections, because
AIDS attacks their immune systems.
AIDS
Genital Herpes

■ Caused by herpes simplex virus type

2.
■ Symptoms include blisters and sores in
the genital region that last for 1 or 2
weeks.
■ Symptoms can disappear for long
periods, but the virus never leaves the
body.
Genital Herpes

■ Antiviral drugs can help control

outbreaks of symptoms, but cannot
cure an infected person.
■ Affects at least 45 million Americans,
with 1 million new cases a year.
Genital Herpes

Courtesy of: the CDC Public Health Image Library

This is a picture of herpes simplex virus particles, taken using an

electron microscope.
Genital Herpes

Courtesy of: the CDC Public Health Image Library

This is a picture of herpes simplex virus particles, taken using an

electron microscope.
Hepatitis B
■ Caused by the hepatitis B virus.
■ Symptoms:
– yellow skin
– Fever
– loss of appetite
– Tiredness
– joint pain.
■ Can cause severe liver damage.
■ Can be prevented with a vaccine.
Hepatitis B

■ About 90% of adults who are infected with

hepatitis will have no symptoms and will be
cured automatically.
■ The other 10% develop a chronic infection
that cannot be cured.
■ About 78,000 Americans are infected with
hepatitis B each year, and there are 1.25
million Americans currently infected.
 Hepatitis B

Courtesy of: the CDC Public Health Image Library

On the left is a photograph of hepatitis B virus particles, taken using an

electron microscope. The patient on the right has a distended abdomen
from a chronic hepatitis B infection.
Hepatitis B
Human papillomavirus

■ Caused by human papillomavirus

(HPV).
■ Some strains can lead to genital warts
(symptoms usually do not emerge for
1-3 months).
■ Some strains can lead to certain
cancers.
Human papillomavirus

■ Warts are treated by applying a drug

to the skin or by freezing the warts.
■ About 20 million Americans are
currently infected, and about 6.2
million Americans get a new infection
every year.
Human papillomavirus
Parasitic STIs

A photo of the pubic louse.

Courtesy of: the CDC Public Health Image Library
Pubic Lice

■ Caused by the insect Phthirus pubis.

■ Symptoms:
– itching in the genital region
– visible lice or eggs.
■ Can be cured with insecticides
 Pubic Lice

Courtesy of: the CDC Public Health Image Library

On the left is a photo of a pubic louse (louse is the singular form of lice). On
the right is a patient infected with public lice.
Scabies

■ Caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei

(related to the spider)
■ Symptoms:
– Itching
– rash.
■ Cured with insecticides
 Scabies

Courtesy of: the CDC Public Health Image Library

On the left is the mite that causes scabies. On the right is a person infected
with scabies.
Trichomoniasis

■ Caused by the parasitic protozoan

Trichomonas vaginalis.
■ Symptoms (usually occur only in
females):
– genital discharge
– itching.
Trichomoniasis

■ Can be cured with drugs.

■ About 7.4 million cases per year in the
U.S.
Trichomoniasis

Courtesy of: the CDC Public Health Image Library

This is a picture of the parasite that causes trichomoniasis, taken

using a light microscope.
Trichomoniasis
Did you see any trends?

■ See if you can answer the following

questions before you look at the
answers
Can all STIs be cured?

■ No. If an STI is caused by a

bacterium or a parasite, it can usually
be cured. If it is caused by a virus,
though, it cannot usually be cured.
Do all STIs show
symptoms?
■ No. Some STIs, like human papillomavirus
and hepatitis B, only show symptoms in a
small percentage of the people who become
infected. Others, like chlamydia and
gonorrhea show symptoms primarily in one
sex and not the other. Even if an STI does
not show symptoms, though, it can still be
transmitted to other people.
How do you know if you
have an STI?
■ The only way to be certain is to see a
doctor. If you show any of these
symptoms or if you have been
exposed to any of these diseases, you
should get yourself tested, since many
STIs are treatable and even curable.
Do The Right Thing

Read the following scenarios. Imagine the main

character (in bold) is asking you for advice. What would
you tell him or her?
Chris has been having some strange symptoms
lately, like discharge from his penis and pain
when he pees. He’s had unprotected sex before,
but not in the last 6 months he’s been with his
current girlfriend, Lucia. Chris knows he should
see a doctor, but he’s afraid of finding out
something that could mess up things with Lucia.
What should Chris do?
Do The Right Thing

Austin and his partner are thinking

about having sex. They decided to go
to a clinic together to get tested.
Once there, though, Austin’s partner
backed out, saying that Austin would
just have to trust that everything was
fine. What should Austin do?
Do The Right Thing

Drew and Arianna hook up sometimes

– mostly at parties when they’ve had
too much to drink. Sometimes they
use condoms, sometimes they don’t,
and sometimes they don’t even
remember. Both see other people as
well. Arianna just found out she has
HPV. What should Arianna do?
Do The Right Thing