Module 3

Self-Check Answers

 

SC 1.

 

Rate of Syphilis Graph: Syphilis infection predominantly affects individuals who are 20 to 49 years of age. However, the incidence of syphilis is low compared to other sexually transmitted infections.

 

Rate of Gonorrhea Graph: Gonorrhea infection is highest among the 20 to 24 age group, but the 15 to 19 and 25 to 29 age groups also have a relatively high rate of infection.

 

Rate of Chlamydia Graph: The rate of chlamydia infection is very high among the 20 to 24 age group. The rate of infection among the 15 to 19 age group and the 25 to 29 age group is nearly half that of the 20 to 24 age group, but is still very high compared with other sexually transmitted infections.

 

Rate of Hepatitis B Graph: The rate of hepatitis B infection rises dramatically from the 0 to 14 age group and the 20 to 24 age group. It decreases gradually from age 25 to 65+, with a slight increase in the 50 to 54 age group.

 

Rate of HIV Infection Graph: HIV infection is highest among the 30 to 39 age group. It is less common than chlamydia and gonorrhea among this age group. Individuals aged 0 to 19 and 50 to 65+ have a relatively low rate of HIV infection.

Self-Check Answers

 

“Section 14.2 Review” Answers

 

1. Examples of Viral and Bacterial STIs

 

Viral STIs	Bacterial STIs
HIV/AIDS	chlamydia
hepatitis (A, B, and C)	gonorrhea
genital herpes	syphilis
HPV

 

2. PID (pelvic inflammatory disease) is a disease that occurs in women; it is caused by undetected chlamydia that has spread to the cervix and oviducts. PID is painful and can lead to the buildup of scar tissue in the oviducts and open sores on the cervix. This may lead to infertility (oviduct damage) and/or an increased risk of acquiring HIV. Chlamydia and PID also pose risks to babies who come into contact with the disease during birth, including potential respiratory infections and eye infections. PID can also arise if gonorrhea goes untreated.

 

3. A woman who is infected with an STI can present numerous risks to her baby. Diseases can be passed to the baby through the placenta (e.g., HIV, hepatitis B), during birth (e.g., HIV, genital herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea), and through breast milk (e.g., HIV).

 

4. a) A person who is infected with an STI but does not present any symptoms will not visit a doctor for treatment. While they wait, the infection may become more serious, progressing to PID, infections, cancer of the cervix (women), tumors on the vulva, vagina, anus or penis, or infertility.

 

b) The public health risk of the asymptomatic individual infected with an STI is that they may unknowingly infect other people if they engage in unsafe sex practices or, in the case of pregnant women, pass the STI to their babies.

 

5. Look for the following key points: Both viral and bacterial STIs have health consequences, the severity of which increases as the infection progresses untreated, and depending on the type of infection. It is true that the viral infections cannot be cured, only managed, and there is a high likelihood that death will result with some viral infections (HIV and hepatitis) or that cancer may develop (HPV). Bacterial infections, while curable, are more likely to go undetected, increasing the possibility that they will be spread unknowingly, as well as the possibility that they won't be detected until they have progressed to the more damaging PID, which can cause scarring and infertility, or infect a baby during birth. In addition, many bacterial diseases are becoming resistant to current antibiotics. The consequences of either form of STI make it preferable to avoid both.

 

6. a) Points supporting the teaching of abstinence: abstinence (from oral, anal, and vaginal sex, and the sharing of needles) is the only way to guarantee the prevention of transmission of STIs. Points supporting the teaching of safe sex practices: students may argue that individuals will engage in sexual practices so it is better to be educated about safe sex practices to avoid transmission of STIs (as well as unwanted pregnancies). Students can evaluate the arguments from an individual point of view, a societal point of view, or even a government viewpoint. It is in the best interest of society and government to teach people about the effects and transmission of STIs so that healthcare does not have to deal with large volumes of transmissions.

 

b) Health practitioners can design education campaigns that respect the views of those advocating abstinence and safe sex practices by presenting the facts of each and allowing the recipients of the information to make their own decision. This can be done by avoiding nuanced language or judgmental, subjective conclusions.

Inquiry into Biology TRG (Whitby, ON: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2007), Sec 14.2 Reproduced by permission.