Disease Unit

           

Sexually Transmitted Infections

Mr. Brown started this unit with a class demonstration where all of us stood in a circle and held hands.  We passed a happy wave and a loving squeeze around our group of innocent, fun loving Ridgewood teenagers.  Then one of us got together with a "a scuz ball  from Glen Rock".  This resulted in a nasty pinch being passed around the group. 

What if handholding represented a sexual contact?

What if the nasty pinch represented a disease?

What were the principles of disease transmission that this demonstration illustrated?   

 

We also did a signature card activity.  Each hand shake and signature represented a possible disease transmission.  With just 3 signatures how many people in the class were infected?                                                

 

Evolution of terms:

            VD - Venereal Disease    (in the old days we never talked about sex, only love)

            STD - Sexually Transmitted Disease   (a term that tells how the disease is spread)

            STI - Sexually Transmitted Infection  (many of these diseases don't make you sick right away and the infected person appears healthy)

We now use the term STI for this group of diseases that are mostly spread by sexual contact.

 

HBO film based on a book by the same name:

And the Band Played On . . .

            1981   - first report in June of 1981

            CDC    - Center for Disease Control

            GRID   - gay related immune deficiency

            AIDS   - acquired immune deficiency syndrome (why don't you want to have a syndrome?

            HIV     - human immuniodeficiency virus

            FDA    - Food and Drug Administration           

            "The Party is Over"  -  What was over?

            FRAIDS - fear of aids

                       

What mistakes did we make dealing with the emerging HIV/AIDS threat? 

A web link that shows Robert Gallo MD in a more positive light.   http://www.ihv.org/bios/gallo.html

A picture and bio of the real Don Francis MD.  http://www.accessexcellence.org/LC/SS/francis_bio.html

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/aids/interviews/francis.html

 

A symptom by symptom look at STI 

-Urithritis or Vaginitis  (pain , discharge, itching)

   untreated = PID : Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID occurs several weeks or months after the initial Urethritis.  The organisms spread throughout the "plumbing" of the reproductive tract and can have serious consequences)

            gonorrhea, chlamydia, trichomoniasis

-Sores

            genital herpes, genital warts (HPV), syphilis  - HPV is now the most common STI in the United States.

                       

-Genital Lice

            (Crabs)

-No Symptoms

            AIDS/HIV, hepatitis B, CMV

            Explain why we named the disease AIDS?

            Up to date stats on HIV:

                        30 million have died

                        40 million have the disease

                        5 million new cases each year!

                       

For a more traditional disease by disease look:  http://www.ashastd.org/stdfaqs/

http://www.cdc.gov/

 

 

HISTORICAL OVERVIEW:

            3 issues kept people from having lots of sexual partners.

                        1-Disease.  2-Pregnancy.  3-Moral Values.

            1940's - Antibiotics

            1950's - STD decreases

            1960's  - Birth Control Pills  (2 out of 3 are gone)

            1970's - Sexual Revolution

            1980's - Disease is back   (1975-herpes,  1981-HIV/AIDS)

 

TO BE AN STI

            Live only in humans, live in the reproductive organs, spread "only" by sex!

                        Why does Mr Brown use the word "only"?

 

TO AVOID STI  - listed in order of effectiveness!

            1. abstain    A. always - moral choice.   B. situational    C.  Individual

                                                (What does Mr Brown mean: situational? individual?

            2. mutual monogamy          What is the true meaning of #2.      

            3. condom use   -  safe sex, dry sex.

            This can be called the A,B,C's  (Abstain, Be Faithful, Condom Use)

 

If you think you have an STI

            1. See a doctor right away!!!

            2. Tell your partners.  They need to know!

            3. Initiate Abstaince.  No sex till your treated and cured.