Sweetly Transmitted Diseases Activity
Topic: Sexually Transmitted Infections
Target Audience: Ideal for adolescents but can be used with adults also.
Goal: Participants will begin a process of understanding the transmission pattern of
sexually transmitted infections.
Group Size: At least 10 individuals, but not limited to a certain number
Time: 15-20 minutes
Materials: M&M’s or equivalent-at least five different colors of candies
Paper cups
Spoons
Instructions:
1. Prepare individual cups of candy. Place a mixture of approximately 20 candies in
each cup, using any color but green.
2. Prepare one cup with 20 green candies. Take this cup for yourself. Give
everyone a plastic spoon.
3. Explain that each participant will receive a cup with candy in it and a spoon. Tell
participants to not eat the candies until done with activity.
4. say the point of the game will be explained at the end. Explain that you are going
to say a trait, and if that trait pertains to anyone, he or she should come and mix
water with others who have the same trait.
5. start by asking different traits (for example, everyone with blonde hair, everyone
wearing shoes with shoe laces, everyone with a birthday in the spring, etc.)
6. keep track of everyone coming up. Make sure the person with the baking soda
goes up frequently to mix water. Keep track of one other person, and make sure
that person NEVER goes up.
7. You, the group leader, with the green candy, also exchange candy with
participants. When each individual is finished with this process they should
return to their seats for next step to activity.
8. After a few rounds, end the game
9. Explain that this is a simulation of STI transmission and unfortunately you have
just been to the clinic and been diagnosed with an STI. You can ask for
suggestions on what it might be for the purpose of the game.
Discussion:
Explain right after activity and before process questions about how the activity was a
simulation. What is a simulation? -activity that represents something else in real life.
Look in your cup. Are there any green candies?
o Have these people stand up…You are in an STD clinic, and just saw the doctor,
the doctor or counselor tells you you’ve just been diagnosed with ________…
Have you heard of this term before?
o Do you know what this STI is? What it means?
Additional Notes:
If you have access to phenolphthalein, you could adapt this activity by using:
-clear plastic cups
-baking soda
-phenolphthalein
-pipette or dropper
-distilled water
Preparation:
-the night before, dissolve baking soda in boiling distilled water, set aside
-fill each cup with distilled water
-fill one cup with the baking soda water (should look the same as the other water)
The Game:
-give each participant a cup of distilled water (instruct them not to drink it!!)
-give one person the baking soda cup (and keep in mind who has it)
-then you go around with your phenolphthalein and pipette and put a few drops of
phenolphthalein in each cup. If it turns pink, they “contracted HIV”
-then point out the one person who didn’t ever go up and mix water. Point out that if you
don’t mix bodily fluid with someone who has HIV, then you can’t get it. Put a few drops
in that person’s cup; the fluid should stay clear.
Possible traits:
• everyone with blonde hair,
• everyone wearing shoes with shoe laces,
• everyone with a birthday in the spring (march, april, may)
• everyone who goes to a middle school
• everyone who was born in Ohio
• everyone who has a brother
• everyone who has a dog
• everyone who knows how to ice skate
• everyone who went to church camp last summer