Sexually transmitted infections: an introduction

“The trainer brought the subject to life.”
Course participant, West Berkshire Council

In a survey of sexual attitudes and lifestyles in Great Britain, 10.8 per cent of men and 12.6 per cent of women aged 16–44 reported having a sexually transmitted infection at some time.

In 2009, there were 482,696 new sexually transmitted infection diagnoses at genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics in the UK, almost 12,000 more than in 2008.

This one-day introductory course is designed for those with little or no knowledge of sexually transmitted infections. It is suitable for those working with adults and young people in any setting, including education, health, youth work and social care, who wish to work more effectively with their client group in raising awareness of sexually transmitted infections.

Aim

To enable workers to promote positive sexual health through increased knowledge of sexually transmitted infections, prevention and available support.

Learning outcomes

• Gain a basic knowledge of common sexually transmitted infections – their signs, symptoms, transmission and treatment.
• Understand the relevance of sexually transmitted infections within sexual health promotion work.
• Identify barriers to service access.
• Consider strategies to prevent occurrances of sexually transmitted infections.
• Discuss attitudes towards sexually transmitted infections.

Number of days

One

FPA sexually transmitted infections booklets may also be of interest