Fact or Fiction

Round #1: About last night ...

girl and guy at school

Jacky moved to your school about two months ago! All of your friends wanted to date Jacky, but you got lucky. Jacky really knows how to have a good time. You've been dating Jacky now for about 4 weeks. Everything has been great between you except you still don't know much about Jacky's past. Last night, things got a little "hot" and you got caught up in the moment. It was dark, you all were alone, you'd had some beer, and Jacky looked so good! One thing led to another and you ended up having some intimate contact - lots of deep kissing, lots of fondling, and there was some penis/vaginal contact, but there was no ejaculation in the vaginal area. Neither of you had thought this would happen, so no protection was available.

Should you be worried?

Use your brain and carefully think this through . . .

What are the key danger points in this situation?

FICTION! Well, you're partly right - not knowing much about Jacky's past could be something to worry about. Has Jacky had sexual relations with other people in the past? Could Jacky be carrying a STD from a previous relationship? At this point, you don't know.

While this is something to worry about, it's not the only danger point in this situation.

FICTION! Well, you're partly right - and it's often dark when things get out of control. The problem is that you have no idea at this point if Jacky had any outward symptoms of an STD. Sure, not all STDs have outward symptoms, but many do - and you need to look before you lose control of the situation. At this point, you don't know if there was a sore, a bump, or a discharge present.

While this is definitely something to worry about, it's not the only danger point in this situation.

FICTION! Well, you're partly right - having intimate contact without any protection is definitely a cause for concern. While a condom would have protected you from many STDs, it still does not protect you from all STDs. While this is definitely something to worry about, it's not the only danger point in this situation.

FACT! Great job picking out your potential dangers now! All of these factors should be causes of concern for you at this point. Now in the light of the morning after, let's look at the possibilities you are facing...

YOU'RE READY FOR THE NEXT QUESTION (below)...

What are the most prevalent bacterial STDs that you might have been exposed to last night?

FICTION! Syphilis is a bacterial infection, but it is not currently the most common bacterial STD. HIV is a viral STD. Learn more about STDs

FACT! Bacterial infections are not the only thing you should be worried about at this point. There's other STDs as well!

YOU'RE READY FOR THE NEXT QUESTION (below)...

FICTION! Gonorrhea is a very common bacterial STD, and you could have been exposed to this bacteria last night . But Genital Herpes is a viral STD. Learn more about STDs

FICTION! Trichomoniasis is a parasitic STD, and Syphilis is a bacterial STD - just not one of the most common infections. Learn more about STDs

By using a condom, which of the following STDs could you have potentially avoided last night?

FICTION! Genital Herpes and Genital Warts are STD viruses. They can be present anywhere in the genital area therefore a condom will not necessarily protect you from this virus! Learn More About STDs

FICTION! Pediculosis Pubis or CRABs are STD parasites. They can be present anywhere in the genital area therefore a condom will not necessarily protect you from this virus! Any skin-to-skin contact can spread these parasites from one person to another! Learn More About STDs

FACT! A condom would have limited your risk for HIV and Hepatitis. Remember that people with these STDs may look perfectly healthy and not feel sick at all. But they have the virus in their body fluids and can give it to you during sexual contact. They might not even know that they are infected...

YOU'RE READY FOR THE NEXT QUESTION (below)...

FICTION! Both HIV and Genital Herpes are viral STDs. While a condom will potentially limit your risk for HIV, Genital Herpes can occur anywhere in the genital area and a condom will not necessarily protect you from coming in contact with a herpes sore. Learn More About STDs

So much for the risk you took last night - unfortunately you can't go back. What should you do now?

FICTION! Talking with Jacky about any previous sex partners and potential STD infections will be important, but won't confirm that you are not infected. Jacky may be infected and not even know it yet. Sometimes embarrassment may keep teens from telling new partners about previous experiences, so you can't rely on Jacky to dispel all your worries about STDs. Learn More About STDs

FICTION! You should get tested for STDs within a few weeks, or sooner if you should develop any symptoms. But you will also need to have a HIV test. Remember that it may take 6 months to a year for the virus to show up in a test. Standard STD testing is not enough! Learn More About STDs

FICTION! Having an HIV test in about six months and a follow-up test in another year will be important, but you also need a STD test. Remember that there are other STDs that may or may not produce symptoms for many months. Learn More About STDs

FACT! Good choice this time! All of these will be important to make sure that you aren't infected with a STD.

YOU'RE READY FOR THE FINAL QUESTION (below)...

In the future, what can you do to make sure that you do not get a STD?

FICTION! Always using a condom will give you some protection, but not complete protection against STDs. You can still get infected with several different STDs while using a condom. Learn More About STDs

FACT: CONGRATULATIONS! Good choice this time! Abstinence is the only way you can be 100% certain that you do not have a STD. Always consider the potential risk involved before letting a romantic evening turn into a potential life-threatening event!

You made some great decisions this round! Why not test your knowledge in Round #2 of Fact or Fiction, or try out the STD Challenge!

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