Video Transcript
Which of the following best
describes what a sexually transmitted infection is? (A) Infections that can be passed
from person to person via sexual contact. (B) Infections that only affect the
male and female reproductive systems. (C) Infections that only affect one
sex, males or females. (D) Infections that are transmitted
among one sex, males or females.
This question is asking us about
sexually transmitted infections. In order to answer this, let’s
briefly go over the male and female reproductive systems and how human reproduction
works.
The job of the male reproductive
system is to make sperm and deliver it to the female reproductive system. Sperm is made in the testes, also
called the testicles, and mixes with different secretions to make a fluid called
semen. Semen can be ejaculated from the
penis during sexual intercourse into the vagina. We can see the vagina here as part
of the female reproductive system. The sperm in the semen can then
move toward the fallopian tube, where it can fertilize an egg cell that was produced
by one of the ovaries. The fertilized egg can then implant
in the uterus and start a pregnancy.
Human reproduction involves sexual
contact in which the penis enters the vagina. Some bacterial or viral infections
can be transmitted, or transferred, during sexual contact. These are called sexually
transmitted infections, or STIs for short. Some examples include syphilis,
gonorrhea, and AIDS. For example, the virus that causes
AIDS is called the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV. HIV can be transmitted by
semen. So a male with an HIV infection can
transmit this to someone else during sexual intercourse.
Getting back to our question, the
option that best describes what a sexually transmitted infection is is given by
answer choice (A), infections that can be passed from person to person via sexual
contact.
