Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Overview

This lesson focuses on learning about sexually transmitted diseases, the most common methods of transmission, and the best way to prevent and reduce the risk of infection.

Learning Targets

  • Identify how STDs are spread.
  • Discuss the best way to prevent and reduce the risk of infections from an STD.
  • Analyze why it is important for children to get the HPV shot.
  • Recognize the short- and long-term consequences of STDs.

Preparation

For the Warm-Up Activity: Write the journal question on the board or identify (and copy as needed) the worksheets you plan to use.

For the Content Focus: Open the Sexually Transmitted Diseases PowerPoint slides or make copies of the Note-Taking Guide.

For the Lesson Focus: Copy the Skill-Building Challenge Worksheet: Healthy Communication.

Warm-Up Activity

Select a warm-up activity to help get your class focused and on task.

  • Journal Question: Write out what STD stands for and list the STDs that you know.
    • Option: Write or project the question and have students respond in their journals as they enter class.
    • Option: Have students discuss the question with a partner or in a small group.
  • Vocabulary Review: Have students work individually, in pairs, or in small groups to complete the Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vocabulary Review Worksheet.
  • Quiz: Have students complete the Sexually Transmitted Diseases Quiz to assess their prior knowledge.
    • Option: Collect the quiz and use it alongside a posttest to demonstrate student learning.
    • Option: Have students share their answers with a partner and then go over the answers together as a class.

Lesson Content

Review the content from the textbook lesson.

Lesson Focus: Healthy Communication

  1. Provide each student a copy of the Skill-Building Challenge Worksheet: Healthy Communication.
  2. Review the assignment directions with the class and review the refusal skills with students. Provide examples if needed.
  3. Option: Have students work individually to complete the worksheet.
    Option: Assign students to work in pairs to complete the worksheet.
  4. When students have completed their scenarios, ask for students to volunteer to share their responses.
  5. Review as a class the refusal skills that were used and how effective they were in getting the message across.

Challenge Activity

Have students needing additional challenge work on the following critical thinking task:

Knowing all the information you do about STDs, why do you think people still have unprotected sex?

Reflection and Summary

Review the critical content from today’s lesson. Review the learning targets and ask students to answer each question posed.

Can you...

  • Identify how STDs are spread?

    Unprotected vaginal, anal, and oral sex.

  • Discuss the best way to prevent and reduce the risk of infections from an STD?

    Abstinence.

  • Analyze why it is important for children to get the HPV shot?

    To help protect children from developing any of the cancers from HPV.

  • Recognize the short- and long-term consequences of STDs?

    The short- and long-term consequences of STDs are infecting others if you don’t know you have an STD; becoming infertile, which means you either can’t get someone pregnant or become pregnant; have problems with a pregnancy such as a miscarriage, premature birth, or a stillbirth; and develop other complications from an untreated STD such as bladder problems, cervical cancer, anal cancer, liver cancer, blindness, dementia, and damage to the heart, brain, and bones.

Assessment

Complete one or more of the following assessment tasks for this lesson.