A Lesson Plan from Life Planning Education: A Youth Development Program

Purpose: To provide information about STDs, how they are contracted, and how they affect health

Materials: Leader's Resource, “STD Facts: True or False” (pdf); container; prizes (optional)

Time: 40-50 minutes

Planning Notes:

• Invite a practitioner from a local STD or health clinic to co-lead this session with you and provide an opportunity for teens to become familiar with information about the clinic. Knowing a friendly face at the clinic might make it easier for teens to go there for services.
• Duplicate the Leader's Resource, then cut the copy into strips that contain the statements only. Fold the strips before placing them in the container for Steps 5, 6 and 7.
• Obtain pamphlets on STDs from a local health department or a family planning clinic. Display these with business cards from the clinic in a prominent area of the room.

Procedure:

1. Tell teens that knowing the risk of STD infection and how using latex condoms can help reduce the risk is important. Equally important is knowing more about STDs, how they are spread and how to identify them.
2. Divide into four teams and have each team move to one corner.
3. Tell teens their team will play against the others in a game that is scored like basketball. The team with the most points wins. Go over instructions for the game:
• Each team will draw a statement, from the container, about STDs. The team must decide whether the statement is true or false.
• If the answer is correct, the team will get two points. If they can also explain why their answer is correct, they get another point, like the extra point for a “free throw.”
• If the team cannot explain their answer, another team can try for the extra point.
4. Have someone from the first team draw a statement and decide whether it is true or false. Encourage the team member to confer with her or his group.
5. Ask the team to explain the statement and award an extra point  if the explanation is correct. If not, allow any other team to try for the extra point. You can award more than one extra point. Use your judgement to determine if a team provides useful information.
6. As the game progresses, use the Leader's Resource to add any additional information about the statements. Make sure to keep an accurate score.
7. When all statements have been addressed, announce first, second, third and fourth places and give out prizes if you have them.
8. Conclude the activity using the Discussion Points.

Discussion Points:

1. What are the signs and symptoms of STDs? (Answers include: redness or soreness of the genitals; pain when urinating (mostly for guys); strong smelling or cloudy urine; unusual discharge from the penis or vagina; sores or blisters on or around the genitals, mouth or anus; a sexual partner with symptoms.)
2. What are the two most effective ways to avoid STDs? (Answers: [1] abstain from sexual intercourse of any kind and [2] use latex condoms every time you have any kind of intercourse.)
3. What three things should you do if you are worried that you have been infected with an STD? (Answers: [1] seek medical treatment right away, [2] inform your sexual partner(s) and [3] abstain from sexual contact until your health care provider says you are not infectious.)
4. How could you bring up using condoms if you were about to have sexual intercourse with a partner you cared about? How would you feel if your partner brought up condom use when you were about to have sex? What would you say to her or him?
5. What would be most difficult about having an STD?
6. Men who have sex with men can use condoms to protect themselves and their partners from STDs. What can women who have sex with women use? (Answer barriers such as squares of latex called dental dams, cut open latex condoms or plastic wrap to cover the vulva and form a barrier so body fluids are not exchanged.)

Adapted with, permission from STD: A Guide for Today’s Young Adults, American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, Reston, VA, 1985.