Sexually transmissible infections (STIs)

Group agreement

5 minutes

Teaching tip: A group agreement must be established before any RSE program begins to ensure a safe learning environment. Read: Essential tools: Establishing a group agreement for tips on how to create one and what to include.

1. Revise or create the class group agreement. 

For this lesson, it is important that students remember the agreement around confidentiality and de-identifying information if sharing a story.

Introduction: 4 squares (STI transmission exercise)
15 minutes

2. Do not explain to students the purpose of this exercise. Present the task as an energiser or 'getting to know you'.
3. Hand out the pre-prepared pieces of paper which were divided into 4 squares. Don't tell students that some pieces have 'g' written on the back to indicate use of glove.
4. Explain that students they will need to move around the room and find someone in the class who they have something in common with, based on the statements you say. When they find someone, they must sign their name in one of their partner's squares. You cannot have the same person twice. At the end of the activity, they will have four different names on their piece of paper - one in each section, each related to a different statement.
5. Say four statements. Some ideas include:
   1. find someone in the room who plays the same sport as you.
   2. likes/hates the same food as you.
   3. likes the same Netflix series as you.
   4. has a letter in their name the same as you.
   5. has the same colour socks on as you.
   6. has the same favourite colour.
   7. has the same number of letters in their name.
   8. street address ends in the same number.
   9. has the same shoe size.
   10. has the same star sign.
6. Continue asking students questions until everyone has 4 people's signatures on their paper. Remind students that they can't have the same person's name signed twice on their paper.
7. Ask everyone to take their seats.

8. Say 

   "This activity is actually to show how easily infections can spread. This infection is spread by touching or signing your name on a piece of paper who someone else with the infection has signed or touched.  It is a 'Signature Transmissible Infection'. Does anyone want to volunteer to pretend to have that infection for the activity?"

Teaching tip: If you have an additional staff member in the room, you can ask them before the lesson to volunteer. This ensures someone makes an effort to go around the room to speak to different groups. 

9. Say:
   "[Volunteer's name] has been to O-Day at Uni. They signed their name lots that day and a few weeks later saw an advert from the WA Department of Health that said they only way to know for sure if you have the 'Signature Transmissible Infection' is to have a test. So, they go to see their GP to a 'Signature Transmissible Infection' test and a few days later their GP calls and tells them it is positive."

Teaching tip: Use this as positive reinforcement for this young person being responsible for their health and going to get tested for an infection. Getting tested and having check-ups is part of our general wellbeing and important part of keeping us healthy.

10. Say:
    "Part of following up a positive 'Signature Transmissible Infection' is taking treatment, which is usually antibiotics, and contacting people who you may be at risk - so anyone whose paper you signed or vice-versa is at risk. So, if you have [Volunteer's name] signed on your piece of paper, please stand up. You are all at risk of having the 'Signature Transmissible Infection'."
11. Ask:
    The students who just stood - how do you feel about being told you might have 'Signature Transmissible Infection'?
    (Worried, angry, upset, not bothered, ambivalent, anxious)

Teaching tip: Some students may blame the volunteer, as they perceive that the volunteer had 'Signature Transmissible Infection' first. Use this as a teaching point and ask "How do we know that [Volunteer's name] had it first? They were the only one to get tested for it and told you all that you are at-risk so now you can do things to look after yourself and get treated."

12. Now ask the students sitting to stand if they have the names of any of the people standing on their paper. And so on. Very quickly, most/all of the class will be standing.
13. Say:
    "Turn your piece of paper over. If you have a 'g' written in the corner, you wore a glove when you signed your name. You are not at risk of the 'Signature Transmissible Infection'. You can sit down."
14. Ask:
    Students sitting down because they wore a glove - how do you feel?
    (Relieved, proud of myself for being safe, not bothered, etc)
    What do you think the 'Signature Transmissible Infection' represents?
    (Sexually transmissible infection, STI)

Teaching tip:  Explain that we don't use the term 'STD' (i.e. disease) anymore as not all infections cause disease, especially if treated early.

What does the glove represent?
(Condom or dental dam)

Thumbs up/thumbs down quiz
10 minutes

15. Have students respond to the following statements using a thumbs up, thumbs down voting strategy and discuss their voting with someone close by. Clarify misconceptions as they appear. Stress that some of the statements are about their opinions while others have a correct and incorrect answer.
    STIs are only passed on through vaginal and anal sex.
    (False: some STIs can be passed on by oral sex and genital skin-to-skin contact.)
    I would know if I had an STI because it would be painful or I would be able to see something.
    (False: most people don't experience any symptoms from STIs or the symptoms can be so mild they don't notice)
    You don't need to wear a condom with someone who has only had sex with a couple of people. 
    (False: Anyone who has ever had vaginal, oral or anal sex can be at risk of an STI. Condoms are also an effective form of contraception)
    STIs aren't very common, I'm not really at risk of getting one.
    (False: STIs are very common, especially in young people 15-29 years. About 1 in 3 people will get an STI in their lifetime.)
    All STIs can be cured.
    (False. All STIs can be treated and managed. Some STIs can be cured (e.g., chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrhoea), usually through antibiotics. Those that cannot be cured (e.g., HIV, herpes) can be managed to reduce the symptoms and/or significantly reduce the likelihood of transmission. People can be reinfected which means that can get an STIs again after it has been cured.)
    There are vaccines available for some STIs.
    (True. There is a vaccine for HPV - the virus that causes genital warts and cervical cancer, and a vaccine for hepatitis B. There are no vaccines for other STIs like HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhoea or syphilis.)

Graffiti walk
15 minutes

16. Students go around the room and use SHQ's STI brochure and/or Get the facts to add information to the pre-prepared butchers paper around the room that say:
17. Either ask a student to read the information off of one butcher's paper or paraphrase the key information on each. Ensure to correct any incorrect information present.