Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) are diseases spread during sexual activity. They include diseases like gonorrhoea, syphilis, herpes, vaginitis, genital warts, and HIV/AIDS.

STDs are dangerous-they cause a lot of discomfort and damage sometimes resulting in blindness, infertility and death in persons who contracted them. The only good thing about STDs is that they can be prevented and some of them can be cured if detected early.

Unfortunately, many adolescents would rather believe that they cannot contract STDs. This attribute has been described as the “it-won’t-happen-to-me” syndrome and it is reflected in the behaviour of adolescents who continue to risk casual and unprotected sex. Many sexually active young people feel they are safe from STDs so long as they are among “well known friends” or “nice” girls and boys, forgetting that you don’t get STD because of who you are but because of what you do.

With STDs, the key words is Prevention-Knowing the facts about them and abstaining from casual/unprotected sexual activity.

Why don’t you test your knowledge about Sexually Transmitted Diseases using this Quiz and Questionnaire and go to page 2 for answers.

STD True or False Quiz

1. You can catch an STD again, even when it has been treated and cured previously.
2. The symptoms of an STD will go away without treatment if you wait long enough.
3. If the symptoms of an STD go away by themselves the STD is cured.
4. Men are more likely to know if they have an STD than women.
5. If you are under 16 and are treated at a Communicable  Disease Clinic for an STD your parents must be informed.
6. STDs can be transmitted through toilet seats and dirty glasses.
7. A condom will give considerable protection against STDs.
8. You have to have sexual intercourse to catch an STD.
9. Women taking the pill are protected against STDs.
10. You can get more than one STD at the same time.
11. Women can have STD without knowing it.
12. If you have an STD, all your sexual contacts should be informed.
13. Often the symptoms of STDs are similar to other diseases.
14. Only drug addicts and homosexual men get AIDS.

STD MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONNAIRE

Circle answers you think are correct.

1. The most likely way to contract an STD is by
   a) Using a public toilet
   b) Kissing or touching another person
   c) Having sexual intercourse with an infected person
   d) Sharing utensils with other people.
2. If you think you have an STD and want to go to a special clinic you must:
   a) Have a letter from your doctor
   b) Have a parental permission
   c) Take an early morning urine specimen when you go
   d) Do none of the above things
3. Information about STD clinics is available
   a) At the community health centre
   b) In the telephone book
   c) From a local doctor
   d) From the school counsellor or nurse
   e) At the Citizen’s Advice Bureau
   f) At the casualty department of the local hospital
   g) From the Family Planning Association
4. The symptoms of STDs in women are:
   a) An usual vaginal discharge
   b) Burning when passing urine
   c) Abdominal pain and painful joints
   d) Longer, heavier periods than usual
   e) Pain during intercourse
   f) Constipation
   g) Burning, itchy vagina
   h) You can have no symptoms at all
5. The symptoms of STDs in men are:
   a) Pain when passing urine
   b) Constipation
   c) Yellow discharge from penis
   d) Rash on the face and the body
   e) Itching on the urethra
6. If you discovered that you have an STD, who of the following must be informed
   a) Your parents
   b) Your sexual partners
   c) Your family doctor
   d) The person who infected you