Sexually transmitted diseases affect young people disproportionately. Reports by the CDC illustrate that individuals between 14 and 24 years make up 50% of US STD infections (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2020). Studies have also shown that one in every four sexually active young people has an STD. It includes conditions such as Chlamydia and Human Papillomavirus. This situation is attributed to behavioral, cultural, and physiological factors that enhance adolescents’ and young adults’ sexual activity, increasing the risks of acquiring sexually transmitted diseases (Chow et al., 2019). However, the prevalence of STDs among young people reflects challenges in preventive measures. The asymptomatic nature of many STDS also undermines its control efforts. Thus, community teaching at the United Methodist Church in Shepherdstown was ideal for reaching out to young people and helping in STD prevention.
Summary of the Teaching Plan
Adolescents and young adults require medically accurate and positive information regarding STDS. Providing this information helps individuals reduce risky behavior and make informed choices concerning their sexual lives (Brookmeyer et al., 2016). This approach will reduce the rate of infections and discourage transmissions. Since schools are experiencing a decline in health education standards, one can provide this information in a church setting. Despite the controversy surrounding the topic of STD, providing accurate and consistent sexual health knowledge will improve adolescents’ well-being at the community level (Brookmeyer et al., 2016). Hence, one should cover topics like contracting STDs, sexual violence, and unwanted pregnancies. This approach will enable young people to have sexually healthy lives.
Consequently, the teaching will focus on cognitive and behavioral objectives. Learners will be required to determine two ways of reducing and preventing STD spread. Participants should be able to give a 100% response to the instructor. Learners should also be able to correctly outline at least three risk factors of contracting STD (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2020). Learners are also expected to know other preventive methods such as the use of male condoms and assess their refusal skills. The instructors should also look out for the participant’s reactions to the spread and prevention of STDS. The teaching plan should align with the “Healthy people 2020” program for STD prevention (ODPHP, 2022). This approach will ensure that the instructors offer age-sensitive information.
Moreover, the instructor should lay down ground rules for the lessons. This approach will help to create trust and an ideal atmosphere for learning. Since it is a church setting, one should respect personal boundaries. Respect the learners’ comments and confidentiality. The clinicians should also appreciate the participants’ beliefs and opinions. Additionally, the teaching plan should outline methods of delivering sexual education. It will include visual aids, like PowerPoint presentations, videos, lectures, brochures, games, discussions, and exercises. One can use questionnaires to evaluate the lessons. One should note any barriers in accessing accurate information and address such concerns.
Epidemiological Rationale of STD Prevention
Sexually transmitted diseases can severely impact people’s sexual and reproductive health. The rapid increase of STD/STI infections in the US and its implications on Americans illustrates its severity. The nation has experienced a rapid increase in congenital syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis. For instance, between 2011 and 2018, the rate of chlamydia increased by close to 19% (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2020). In ten years, the US has also experienced a steady rise in gonorrhea infections. The rate of congenital and secondary syphilis has also increased since 2010. Other data shows that 14 million new STI infections were from Human papillomavirus (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2020). Such figures illustrate that STD infections are a severe public health concern.
Nevertheless, STDs affect certain groups more than others. For instance, close to 50% of new STD infections were from persons aged 15 to 24, which is 25% of the sexually active population (Brookmeyer et al., 2016). Moreover, over 50% of secondary and primary syphilis infections in 2018 occurred amongst men who have sex with men (MSM) (Brookmeyer et al., 2016). Other communities, such as Native and African Americans, reported higher gonorrhea, syphilis, and chlamydia infections than their white counterparts (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2020). When untreated, STDs can have adverse health effects leading to infertility, neonatal death, congenital abnormalities, ectopic pregnancy, chronic abdominal pain, and miscarriage (Olaleye et al., 2020). Hence, outlining the severity of STDS.
Furthermore, STDs are associated with an enhanced risk of HIV infection. It includes syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia. Scholars also associate HPV with cancer, with close to 35,000 cancer cases linked to the condition (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2020). Hence, STDs significantly affect the nation’s healthcare system and economy. According to the CDC, the US spends over $ 2.4 billion as direct costs for managing STDs (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2020). However, such expenses do not cover other costs resulting from reduced productivity due to illness, screening costs, and severe pregnancy outcomes. Since STDs mainly affect young people, preventive measures should be directed to this population through community education.
Evaluation of Teaching Experience
Despite the challenges in addressing adolescents on the sensitive topic, the experience was rewarding and positive. Information gathered throughout the sessions would help formulate future lectures and discussions in the community. The communication techniques can also be applied in other settings or different population groups. Nevertheless, despite having the classes in church, participants were eager to learn, with members arriving early for the classes. The learners were friendly and emotionally prepared for the classes. They participated in-class activities, memorized scientific data, and asked questions. However, some participants made inappropriate jokes and offered their reservations.
Nonetheless, members preferred visual presentations and role-play rather than lengthy discussions and lectures. They were eager to participate in interactive games role-play, encouraging other members to join. A significant number of the participants also gave impressive feedback, completing the questionnaires on time, demonstrating that they appreciated the lessons. However, despite their significance, the learners were reluctant to repeat certain procedures. Other members requested handouts rather than attending the lecture sessions, while some preferred one-on-one sessions due to the topic’s sensitivity. Overall, the team appreciated the sessions, thanking the organizers and commending the instructor’s performance.
Community Response to Teaching
Despite limited information regarding the intervention’s impact, the community response was positive. As indicated, members showed profound interest in the topic and followed to clarify certain matters. Participants requested if we could share the video on the church’s social media pages or their individual online platforms. Such requests illustrated their interest in sexual health education. Feedback from the tests and questionnaires also demonstrated that the learners had gained significant knowledge on STD prevention, infection risks, and symptoms. The participants also conveyed their willingness to participate in future discussions.
The church administrators also appreciated the project. Church members gave their proposals on how we could improve the lectures. It included suggestions for holding such sessions every four months. The organizers also pointed out the need for simplifying the course material for younger members and whether we could have one-on-one sessions for sensitive cases. Parents were also satisfied with the sessions and conveyed their gratitude to the instructor. Others requested that we have a session for older adults to enhance their sexual education knowledge. All participants agreed that sexual health education should be part of the church’s yearly program.
Areas of Strengths and Improvement
The program received significant support from the participants, illustrating its strength. Since this was our first session, we did not compare it to other lectures, but the feedback was impressive. More than 70% of the learners had little knowledge of STDs before the session, with few members appreciating the severity of STDs. However, the participants showed a remarkable improvement after the first session. This outcome was evident even among students who were reluctant to participate in-class activities. Overall, only one did not show significant improvement since he had gone through sexual health education in school.
The learners were also passionate about understanding refusal skills. Members showed significant interest in the abstinence part. Participants felt abstinence was the ideal way for reducing STD infections but noted that it might not work for everyone. This approach allowed us to discuss other ways of tackling STDs. Generally, learners were satisfied with the classes, terming them as useful. Participants commended the visual presentation, particularly the videos and role-plays. However, other learners felt that the role plays presented awkward and embarrassing moments. Hence, they proposed that we incorporate other methods to improve content delivery.
Although we did not assess the participants’ STD state, the learners felt they were equipped and assured of implementing STD prevention measures. Participants were also required to assess the instructor’s performance, offering positive remarks. The learners also made suggestions for improving the session. Since it was in a church setting, they felt that discussing sexual matters was inappropriate, opting for one-on-one sessions. Others recommended that we shift the lessons to their respective schools, while some wanted to focus on abstinence-only. Such suggestions will help in improving future lectures. Overall, the organizer’s support and learners’ participation were critical to education’s success.
References
Brookmeyer, K. A., Hogben, M., & Kinsey, J. (2016). The role of behavioral counseling in STD prevention program settings. Sexually transmitted diseases, 43(0 0 1), S102.
Chow, E. P., Grulich, A. E., & Fairley, C. K. (2019). Epidemiology and prevention of sexually transmitted infections in men who have sex with men at risk of HIV. The Lancet HIV, 6(6), e396-e405.
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) (2022). Sexually transmitted diseases. Healthy People 2020. Retrieved from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/sexually-transmitted-diseases/objectives.
Olaleye, A. O., Babah, O. A., Osuagwu, C. S., Ogunsola, F. T., & Afolabi, B. B. (2020). Sexually transmitted infections in pregnancy–An update on Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, 255, 1-12.
US Department of Health and Human Services. (2020). Sexually transmitted infections national strategic plan for the United States: 2021–2025. Washington, DC.
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