Auntie Stella

25. Must I tell her about my STI?

Theme: Safer sex
Sexually transmitted infections

Dear Auntie Stella

I am a schoolboy aged 17. I have a girlfriend and we started to sleep with each other a few months ago. During the last holidays I went to visit my uncle in Bulawayo and there I met another young lady outside the beerhall. We had sex together only once. After returning home I developed an STI.
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In science class we were told that you should always tell your partner if you have an STI. I have read this in other places too. But why should I tell my girlfriend? She will be angry with me. Won’t she notice when we’re having sex now that there is something wrong without me saying anything? I don’t want to lose my girlfriend. What should I do?

Leroy

Talking points


  • Should Leroy tell his girlfriend? What could happen if he doesn’t tell her? And if he does?

  • What would you want Leroy to do if you were his partner?

  • How would you feel if your boyfriend or girlfriend slept with someone else? What would you do?

  • How common are STIs among young people you know? What is the cause of this? Can it be prevented?

  • Can you tell when someone has an STI? What signs are there (for men and women)?