Teen Sexual Health

Training Teen Health Educators

Overview | Body Part Graffiti | Sex Graffiti | STI Poetry | Healthy Sexuality Mapping | Condom Demonstration

Human Sexuality: STI Poetry

Learning Objective: Participants will explore the social stigma related to sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS, and the impact this has on how people negotiate their sexual health.

Resources:

• STI Poetry Activity

Time: 30 minutes

Materials:

• Pens and paper
• Markers
• 3-inch wide slips of cut flipchart paper (3 for each participant)
• Tape

Procedure:

• The first part of this activity involves free-flow writing. Each participant will work individually and write down anything and everything that comes to mind in response to this sentence starter: "The world tells me that people who get STIs and HIV/AIDS are." (about 5 minutes).
• Still working individually, participants circle the three sentences they like the best, and write one of these sentences on each of their 3 slips of flipchart paper.
• Have participants form 3 or 4 small groups. These groups will each produce a poem from the 3 sentences that their group members created. They can add little words to join the sentences together.
• Each group presents their poem.
• Ask:
  • What do you notice about the poems?
  • What are some of the common stereotypes about who gets STIs and HIV?
  • Do these stereotypes fit with reality?
  • How might these stereotypes affect the choices people make about STI/HIV prevention and testing?
• Emphasize:
  • There is a common belief that STIs and HIV are evidence of someone being "dirty" or morally problematic. These beliefs are likely connected to how we view sexuality in society. That is, because sexuality tends to be seen as dirty or hidden, diseases linked to sexuality are seen as evidence of this dirtiness.
  • The social stigma associated with STIs and HIV makes it hard for people to acknowledge potential risk because they are a "good person." This may make it difficult for them to use a condom or be tested for STIs and HIV.
  • In reality, these diseases do not target people based on the kind of person they are. The bacteria and viruses that cause these diseases are not concerned about who their host is; they merely need a place to reproduce. This is the same with other germs, such as the cold virus.

To: Healthy Sexuality Mapping >