STI Prevention

The impact of STI's on the development of youth

The impact of STI's on the health of youth

Physical

- A young woman may develop pain during sex or during urination or vaginal bleeding which continues until the STI is treated

- Physical development of an AIDS or HIV patient may include life-threatening symptoms

- May possible contract HPV which can affect physical development to cause cervical cancer. May affect their reproductive organs

Intellectual

- STI can impact the intellectual development of the youth to make them much wiser in taking care of themselves and others in the future

- Youth can make better choices for their future due to increase in their intellectual development from knowledge or experience of STIs

Emotional

- When a young woman develops uncomfortable pain during sex they can become withdrawn and emotionally upset when their partner still expects sexual contact although they experience continual pain and bleeding

-They experience the emotional anxiety from isolation and misunderstanding of the infection from other fellow humans

- Lifelong impact on the emotional development of the young woman who will then not be able to have children

Social

- Youth with AIDS or HIV can be victimized or outcast from society

- May not be included with other family and friends outings who have children

- Sexual health checks can be uncomfortable, awkward and embarrassing for young people

- Can cause depression as it may produce strong emotional reactions

- Some think that having an STI changed the way they felt about engaging in sexual activities, impacting the individual in all aspects of health

Role of the determinants as risk and protective factors of STI's

Rights and Responsibilities

- As Australian youth you have the right to use public health services if you want to get checked for an STI

- Have the right to privacy

- You have the responsibility to give accurate accounts of medical history, and behavioural factors

- You have the right to seek help without fear of judgement of others.

Biological:

Risk- Can do damage to you internally and in serious cases can lead to infertility in both men and women

Protective- N/A

Behavioural:

Risk- Not seeking help from medical professionals when you feel like there might be something wrong or even to get a check-up can lead to serious issues.

Protective- If someone gets a check-up and find that they have an STI, they can seek further help to get better.

Physical:

Risk- No access to medical care and/or in a rural area

Protective- Access to medical care and able to use them

Social Environment (Family):

Risk- Having a dysfunctional family that cannot support you, financially and mentally, if you happen to get an STI

Protective- Your family being financially stable and able to support you if you fall ill with an STI

Social Environment (Community)

Risk- Being in an unsafe community, or rural area where medical services are not available and/or you and your family are not financially stable

Protective- Being in a safe community that has functional medical services available

STI Prevention

By Caitlyn, Vi and Jessica

What are STI's?

- STI’s are an infection that are transmitted, usually, during sexual intercourse

- Can be transmitted by blood, semen, vaginal and other bodily fluids

- They can be transmitted from mother to infant during pregnancy

- Best way to prevent STI is to wear a condom

Our strategy to address the issue of STI's and how it is effective

WEBSITE

VIDEO

- Updated health information free of charge for the public

- An effective way to promote the awareness of STI prevention

Our idea of a strategy, to address the issue would be to raise more awareness about STI’s. We don’t see much advertising around this issue in Australia, for example on TV, posters, magazines and social media.

STI’s wouldn’t be as common if people knew how to avoid them better and how to get treated if you happen to get an STI.

This is an effective strategy as a lot of youth are active on social media.

- Published in 2010 by the Centres of Disease Control and Prevention in the US

- Make it contagious campaign was designed to raise awareness of sexually transmitted infections among youth

- "Pickles" symbolise STI's

- The only way for students to find out if they have an STI is to get tested