Sexually Transmitted

Infection (STI)
Objectives:
• To build supportive
relationships between the
participants.
• To know about the
transmission and
prevention about STI.

Material: Flip-Tarp

Time: 15
minutes
LECTURE:

A. Use the Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI)

illustration in the flip tarp to provide basic information
about Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI).

What is STI?
• Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) are infections
that are passed from person to person through
sexual intercourse, other forms of sexual activity,
or during pregnancy and delivery.

Common signs and symptoms

• Pus or unusual yellowish/greenish/greyish discharge

from the penis, vagina, or anus
• Rash, sores, lumps or blisters around or near the
penis/vagina/ anus
• Swelling in genital/anal area

Some STIs have no signs or symptoms, especially

for girls/ women; Some signs or symptoms may
 Healthy Young Ones User
Guide

proper treatment, but

can still be passed on to others and can continue to
damage your health.

Mode of Transmission

Sexually Transmitted
Infections (STI) are passed on through unprotected
sex, skin to skin contact, or exchange of body fluids.
Some STI are caused by viruses and cannot be cured.
Others are caused by
bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and skin parasites. The most
common STI are: gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, herpes,
genital warts, hepatitis B, Candidiasis, and HIV.

STI can be passed

from mother to child and cause serious illness or birth
defects.

Every sexual activity is an opportunity to get

variety of STI. Condoms do not cover everything!

A person who has engaged in sexual activity is

encouraged to see a doctor to be assessed for STI. A
person who is sexually active should have regular
sexual health check-up and self-risk assessment.

Diagnosis and treatment

A doctor or nurse can check whether a person

has an STI. Most STI can be treated with appropriate
medication.

A person with STI should also encourage his/her

partner/s to submit for medical assessment and
treatment.

Having STI increases the risk of having HIV.

Untreated or incompletely treated STI can lead to long-
term or serious complications like infertility, cancer,
adverse pregnancy, and complications to infants. STIs
like HIV, syphilis, Hepatitis B have no cure.

DO NOT SELF-MEDICATE. See a doctor for

proper diagnosis and treatment. Complete the
treatment even if you feel better and the symptoms
disappear.

Causative Agents:
• Bacterial/Bacteria
• Viral/Virus
• Protozoa

Prevention

There are ways for a person to make sure he does not

get infected with, or transmit, any STI. These can be as
simple as ABCDE:

STI and HIV prevention is a simple as ABCDE:

A = Abstain from sex/Abstinence/ Ayoko muna

makipag sex
B= Be mutually faithful/ Basta’t Ikaw at ako lamang
C= Correct and consistent use of condom
D= Don’t use drugs and alcohol. Do not share
needles and syringes.
E= Education on STI and HIV

B. Explain that many people do not get this information

and therefore do not know about Sexually Transmitted
Infections (STI) or how to prevent it. This means that
they are vulnerable to becoming infected with
Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI). Communities are
sometimes judgmental towards people living with
Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) and their families.
This leads to stigma and discrimination, which can
 Healthy Young Ones User
Guide

Key messages: Sexually Transmitted Infection

(STI) is transmitted through various behaviors. It is very
essential to know that some STI can be without
symptoms and not all are curable. To prevent STI, people
should know the correct information about STI and
improve their health seeking behavior.

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Human
Immunodeficiency
Virus (HIV) and
Acquired Immune
Deficiency
Syndrome (AIDS)
Objectives:
• To build supportive relationships between the
participants.
• To provide correct information about HIV and AIDS

Material: Flip-Tarp

Time: 30
minutes
LECTURE:

A. Use the HIV and AIDS illustration in the flip tarp to

provide basic information on HIV, AIDS. Make sure
you include information about means of transmission,
prevention and treatment.

What is Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)?

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a virus that

weakens the immune system. A person infected with
HIV is said to be HIV- positive. The window period of HIV
is usually 2-6 weeks after the last potential HIV exposure.
HIV infection causes Acquired Immunodeficiency
Syndrome (AIDS).
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 Healthy Young Ones User
Guide

What is Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

(AIDS)?

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a

condition of a person with HIV when the immune
system is already weak or destroyed and the body
can no longer fight off common opportunistic
infections like Tuberculosis (TB) or pneumonia.

A person with HIV do not necessarily have AIDS.

Mode of HIV Transmission

The high concentration of HIV

is found in four (4) body fluids:
blood, semen, vaginal fluid and
breast milk. HIV is transmitted
from an infected person to
another person through:

• unprotected penetrative
anal, vaginal and – to a
lesser extent
• sharing
– oral sex
of contaminated needles and injecting
equipment, occupational exposure to HIV
contaminated blood, or transfusion of infected
blood or transplantation of infected tissue or organ

• an infected mother to her baby during pregnancy,

labor and delivery, or breastfeeding

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 For HIV to be successfully transmitted to another
person, it must meet the four (4) Principles:

E – Exit (the virus must exit the body of an infected

person
S - Survive (the virus must be in conditions in
which it can survive)
S - Sufficient (sufficient quantities of the virus must be
present to cause infection)
E - Enter (the virus must enter the bloodstream of
another person)

Misconceptions on the Transmission of HIV

HIV is not transmitted through:

• Sneezing
• Contact with saliva, tears, or sweat
• Shaking hands
• Hugging and Kissing
• Sharing food utensils
• Sharing linens like towels and beddings
• Swimming in the same pool with an HIV
infected person
• Using the same telephone

Ways of Prevention

Just like other STI, HIV prevention is as simple as

ABCDE:
A = Abstain from sex/Abstinence/ Ayoko muna
makipag sex B= Be mutually faithful/ Basta ikaw
at ako lang
C= Correct and consistent condom use
D= Don’t use drugs and alcohol. Do not share needles
and syringes. E= Education on STI and HIV

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 Healthy Young Ones User
Guide

HIV prevention relies

on avoiding exposure to another person’s body fluids.
The likelihood of HIV transmission of HIV from
exposure to the following body fluid can be reduced by:

1. Blood and Blood Products:

· Always select blood donor who does not
have risky behaviors
· Observing universal precaution
· NOT using illegal drugs
· Using new/clean needles and syringes

2. Sexual Transmission:
· Abstaining from sex
· Being mutually faithful (having a mutually
monogamous relationship)
. Correct and consistent use of condoms

3. During Pregnancy:
· Staying healthy and keep an HIV free status
· Continuously receiving proper prenatal care
· Getting counseled and tested for HIV
· If HIV (-), continuously protecting self, one’s baby
and family from HIV
. If HIV (+), immediately consulting a health worker
for access to treatment, care and support services,
especially taking the antiretroviral therapy
(combination of drugs use to prevent multiplication
of HIV in the body)

4. During Labor and Delivery

. Delivering their babies in health facilities attended
by trained health care workers
· Infant receiving antiretroviral prophylaxis if mother is
HIV (+)
· Continuously receiving proper postnatal care

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5. During Breastfeeding
· Exclusively breastfeeding their babies for 6 months
· For HIV (+) mothers, taking antiretroviral therapy at
the same time every day for life

HIV Testing

Anyone can get infected with HIV. However, it is

impossible to tell if a person has HIV just by looking at
the physical appearance. Once HIV infected, it takes a
long time for a person to become sick. A person may
already be infected with HIV and may already transmit
the virus to another person without him knowing it.

The only way to know if one is infected is through an

HIV antibody test. Unless a person gets tested for HIV,
he/she will not know his/ her HIV status.

A person may be tested negative for HIV antibody

test, but he/she may already be infected with HIV.
He/she is in the window period. This is the time from 2
to 6 weeks when a person is already infected with HIV
but the body has not yet produced enough antibodies
to be detected in the HIV test. At this period, the
person is highly infectious and can already transmit
the virus to another person.

HIV tests are available in many healthcare settings such

as Social Hygiene Clinics, reproductive health and
wellness centers, and hospitals.

Get tested. Visit an HIV counseling and testing facility.

Early HIV diagnosis is the key to survival.

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 Healthy Young Ones User
Guide

Treatment

There is no known cure nor vaccine for HIV. People

with HIV are given a combination of drugs called
“antiretroviral” (ARV) drugs to keep them live long
and healthy lives. Antiretroviral drugs must be taken
at the same time every day for the rest of the person’s
life. This treatment prevents HIV from replicating and
allows the immune system to strengthen and fight
other infections more effectively. Study Shows that
treatment as prevention can also reduce the risk of
HIV transmission.

Antiretroviral drugs as a lifetime therapy, do not

cure HIV, but when taken at the same time every day,
can prolong the life of a person with HIV.

a. Explain that many people do not get correct

information on HIV. Those who do not know about
HIV and AIDS and how to prevent it are vulnerable
to becoming infected with HIV. Knowledge helps but
does not guarantee HIV prevention. Sometimes,
knowledge on HIV do not necessarily translate to
safer sexual behaviors. Also, communities are
sometimes judgmental towards people living with HIV
and their affected families and significant others.
Reducing HIV-related stigma and discrimination can
help people to access life-saving interventions.

b.Present the HIV self-risk assessment questions:

• Do I engage in unprotected sex with more
than one partner?
• Does my partner have other sexual
partners?
• Do I or my partner have signs or symptoms
of STI?
• Do I or my partner use drugs and share
injecting equipment? 49
c. Explain that during self-risk assessment, when there
is a YES to any of the above questions, a person may
have the risk for HIV, and that he/she should go and
see a doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment, or
referral.

Key messages: HIV and AIDS is transmitted through

various risk behaviors. To prevent HIV transmission,
people need to have good information about
prevention, treatment, care and support. It is very
important to seek on risky behaviors, early detection,
and to know your HIV status.

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 Healthy Young Ones User
Guide

The aim of this program is that every adolescent is

welcome to go to the nearest health center, and
provide them the needed assistance and give right
information on Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive
Health (ASRH).

Wise personal decision, awareness, and right

information about Adolescent Sexual and
Reproductive Health (ASRH) is very important
among our adolescent because when their future
matters. BEFORE YOU UNZIP, “WAG PADALOS-DALOS,
DAPAT MAG ISIP!”

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