Activity 8: Shaking STD's

Objective:

• To illustrate through a simulated activity how STDs (1)are transmitted, (2) are not transmitted, and (3) ways to reduce risks of infection.

Materials:

• 3 x 5 cards, pencil for each participant, one right handed glove

Direction:

• Hand cut 3 x 5 cards to participants.

• Tell them to write numbers 1-2-3-4-5 down left side of card.

• Five people will receive cards which have special instructions on back.

- Person 1: Do Not shake hands.

- Person 2: Shake hands only with Person # 3.

- Person 3: Shake hands only with Person # 2.

- Person 4: Shake hands only with a glove on your hand.

- Person 5: After you shake hands, sign the card as "Person 5" and tell that person to sign all future cards as "Friend of Person 5."

• Instruction to Group: Each participant is to go and introduce him/herself to another, shake their hands, and sign each other's card. Repeat this 4 times until you have five names on your card and then sit down.

Discussion:

• For this activity, shaking hands is symbolic of having sexual contact.

• Person 1 was instructed not to shake hands with anyone. This person was symbolically practicing abstinence.

• Persons 2 and 3 were instructed to shake hands only with each other. They were symbolically practicing monogamy.

• Person 4 was instructed to only shake hands with a glove on his/her hand. This person was symbolically practicing a barrier method, such as a condom.

• Person 5 symbolically had an STD. He/She signed cards as "Person 5" and told those people to sign others' cards as "Friend of Person 5."

• Persons 1, 2, and 3 would not transmit the disease since STDs are prevented with abstinence and monogamous relationships.

• Person 4's risk of infection was reduced but not eliminated by the use of a barrier method such as the glove which was symbolic of a condom.

• Person 5 exposed his/her contacts to STDs.

• Person 5, please stand up.

• Everyone now look at your 3 x 5 cards.

• Look at Number 1. If your card says Person 5, please stand up.

• Look at Number 2. If your card says Person 5 or Friend of Person 5, please stand up.

• Look at Number 3. If your card says Person 5, or Friend of Person 5, please stand up.

• Look at Number 4. If your card says Person 5, or Friend of Person 5, please stand up.

• Look at Number 5. If your card says Person 5, or Friend of Person 5, please stand up.

Note:

• Not everyone exposed to an STD infected person will contract an STD, but sometimes only one contact is necessary. Rates of infection depend on the particular STD, the type of sexual contact, the sex of the participants, the number of participants, other STDs acting as co-factors, geographic locations, sexual history of partners, as well as other factors.

Variation:

• Ask the persons standing, "How do you feel about being infected?" (surprised, embarrassed, angry, etc.?).

• Ask Person 1, "How did you feel when others tried to shake your hand and you couldn't respond?" (rejected, foolish, bashful, etc.?).

• Ask Persons 2 and 3, "How did you feel when you could only shake hands with each other?" (left out, rejected, special, etc.?).

• Ask Person 4, "How did others respond to the glove on your hand when you shook hands?.' (surprised, questioned, reluctant to shake hands, etc.?).

• Ask Person 5, "How did you feel knowing you possibly infected all these people?" (embarrassed, sorry, didn't know what he/she was doing, etc.).

• When did this STD really start to be transmitted?

• Discuss the effectiveness of the following methods to reduce the risks of STD infection:

- abstinence: best, most effective, way

- monogamy: effective if neither is already infected

- limited number of partners: reduce but risky

- limit partners who have multiple partners: reduce but risky

- condoms: reduce but do not eliminate possibility of infection.

From: Ohio Public Schools AIDS Manual