Reproduction: Question 5
Syllabus 16.6
A community health worker is designing a poster to help control the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, in a local town.
Which of these actions would be most effective in reducing the spread of STIs, including HIV, through unprotected sexual contact?
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Worked solution
Step 1: Recall how STIs, including HIV, are transmitted
An STI is an infection transmitted through sexual contact. HIV specifically spreads through the transfer of body fluids such as blood, semen, vaginal fluids or breast milk, most commonly during unprotected sexual contact.
Step 2: Identify effective methods of control
Because transmission depends on the exchange of these body fluids, a physical barrier that prevents this exchange, such as a condom, reduces the risk of transmission during sexual contact. Regular screening and prompt treatment are also essential, since a person can carry and transmit an STI without showing symptoms; identifying and treating infections early helps stop them being passed on further.
Step 3: Evaluate the options
Barrier contraception combined with screening and treatment (option B) addresses both prevention of transmission and early identification of existing infections, the two most effective, evidence-based approaches to controlling the spread of STIs in a population.
Why the other options are wrong
- A: antibiotics only work against bacterial infections; HIV is caused by a virus, so antibiotics cannot prevent or cure it.
- C: HIV is not transmitted through sharing food or drink; it requires transfer of specific body fluids, typically through sexual contact.
- D: washing after sexual contact does not remove pathogens that have already been transmitted into the body’s fluids or tissues.
Final answer
Promoting barrier contraception alongside regular STI screening and treatment is the most effective way to reduce the spread of STIs, including HIV, option B.