STD Notes

Chlamydia

  1. Chlamydia is a common ______STD, infecting 3 million people in the US each year, including ______million young people aged 15-24.
  2. 75% of women and 50% of men have ______symptoms with Chlamydia. If symptoms are present they may include abnormal discharges or a burning sensation when urinating.
  3. Chlamydia can be transmitted to either partner through vaginal, anal, or ______sex and is diagnosed by lab tests.
  4. While the disease can by ______with antibiotics, if left untreated, it can have serious consequences, particularly for women.
  5. Up to 40% of women with untreated Chlamydia develop ______(pelvic inflammatory disease) and one in five of those women will become ______.
  6. If you are a woman with Chlamydia and are exposed to HIV, your risk of becoming infected with HIV is ______to ______times higher.

Gonorrhea

  1. Gonorrhea is another bacterial STD, infecting ______each year in the U.S.
  2. Although many may have ______symptoms at all, symptoms in men and women may include a burning sensation when urinating or abnormal discharges. In women, symptoms may be mild and mistaken for a vaginal infection.
  3. Gonorrhea can be transmitted to either partner through vaginal, anal, or ______sex and is diagnosed by lab tests.
  4. Gonorrhea can be cured with antibiotics, but remains a major cause of ______and subsequent infertility and tubal pregnancies (outside the uterus).
  5. Gonorrhea is very contagious. In a single act of unprotected sex with and infected partner, a teenage female has a ______percent chance of getting gonorrhea.
  6. Gonorrhea can also facilitate ______transmission.

Syphilis

  1. Syphilis is another ______STD, infecting 70,000 each year in the US.
  2. Syphilis is passed via ______contact from a syphilis sore, called a chancre.
  3. Syphilis can be transmitted to either partner through vaginal, anal, or ______sex.
  4. The primary stage of syphilis is usually marked by the appearance of a ______, which soon goes away.
  5. Syphilis can be ______with antibiotics.
  6. Untreated syphilis can cause serious problems later in life, including heart trouble, mental problems, birth defects in babies and ______.

Trichomoniasis

  1. Trichomoniasis is a very common STD caused by a microscopic ______, infecting five million people in the US each year.
  2. Most men have ______symptoms. Some women may have a vaginal discharge and experience discomfort during intercourse or urination.
  3. Trichomoniasis can be diagnosed through a physical exam with a lab test, and can be ______with a prescription drug.

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)

  1. HPV is a very common ______STD, infecting 5.5 million people each year in the US, including 4.6 million people aged 15-24. At least ______% of sexually active men and women acquire genital HPV at some point in their lives. One study showed that ______of college women evaluated contracted HPV at some point over a three year period.
  2. There are 30 types of HPV that can affect the ______area. Some “low-risk” types cause genital warts, which can be treated and cured. Other “high-risk” types can cause cervical, penile and anal ______.
  3. There is ______medical cure for HPV. Most mild infections can be destroyed by the body’s immune system over time. If a “high-risk” HPV infection is not cleared by the immune system, it can remain present for many years and turn abnormal cells into cancer over time.
  4. Over 90% of all cervical cancers are caused by ______infection. Every year, about 12,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and almost 4,000 women ______from the disease in the US.
  5. Most women are diagnosed with HPV on the basis of abnormal ______test. Regular Pap tests, performed by a doctor, are important for detecting cervical cancer early, when it can be treated most effectively. No HPV test are available for men.
  6. HPV can be transmitted to either partner through vaginal, anal, or ______sex.
  7. A new vaccine against HPV is currently available for females and protects against the strains of HPV that are the most common causes of cervical cancer and genital warts. While the vaccine is expected to reduce rates of cervical cancer, it does not provide complete protection. Sexually active females are still at risk. Students should talk with their parents and doctors about this vaccine.

Genital Herpes

  1. Genital herpes is a common ______STD and infects 1 million people each year in the US including 650,000 people aged 15-24. It is the most widespread STD in the US today, with over ______million people currently infected.
  2. Over ______% of people who tested positive for genital herpes did not know they had it.
  3. There is no cure for genital herpes. Once infected, you have genital herpes for ______.
  4. Some people with genital herpes have symptoms, but most don’t. Typical symptoms of genital herpes are painful, recurring ______or sores on or around the genitals or rectum. Most people with a first episode can expect to have 4 to 5 outbreaks within a year. Medications can help with outbreaks.
  5. With or without symptoms, genital herpes can be transmitted by ______-to-______contact between sex partners.
  6. Genital herpes can be diagnosed by ______inspection if blisters or sores are present. It can be difficult to detect otherwise; blood tests are helpful, but the results are ______always clear-cut.

STD’s- An Epidemic

  1. There are more than ______STD’s.
  2. Every year more than ______million Americans contract a new STD. More than ______million people in the US currently have an incurable STD.
  3. Every year approximately ______million teens contract a new STD…that’s ______each day, ______each hour and 1 every ______seconds.
  4. Why are teens especially vulnerable to spreading and contracting STD’s?
  1. Many STDs have ______symptoms, so either partner could have the STD and not know it.
  2. Sexually active teenagers and young adults are more likely than other age groups to have ______sex partners.
  3. The ______of adolescent females is more at risk for infection from some STDs than the cervix of older females.

Parent Interview:

Interview a parent or guardian by asking the following questions. Write down that person’s responses. Share your answers to the same questions. Discuss similarities and differences in the responses.

  1. What are some of the most common STD’s affecting young people today?
  1. Why do teenagers think they won’t be affected by the consequences of sexual activity?
  1. Why doesn’t “safe sex” protection (condom use) eliminate the risk of STD’s?
  1. What is the only way to eliminate 100% of the risk of contracting an STD?

Homework: Watch a popular TV program and record the number of times sex is discussed or implied. Write down the possible outcome of this kind of talk or behavior. Respond to these questions: Is this an accurate portrayal of what happens when two people have premarital sex? Why or Why not?