Thinking

The Virus Project was the most prominent and enjoyable, and educational assignment that I completed in this unit. It is also the assignment that I am the proudest of, I think my model and pamphlet turned out great and also looked professional. 

I knew that HPV was an STI, but after I further researched and investigated it, I was able to learn much more about it. I discovered more about how it is transmitted, how to prevent it, who is at risk of the infection, the type of symptoms one can get, and where it is most prominent around the world. 

There is a common misconception that HPV is rare. The truth of the matter is that HPV is the most common STI. It is also not true that only women get this, in fact, It is transmissible from both men and women. People are under the impression that if they contract HPV they will get cancer. According to my research, there are only around 13 of the 100+ strands that can cause it. 

I was able to analyze my research from trusted sources and make decisions by organizing it into categories. By doing this, I was able to pick the key points for each topic including the symptoms, how to prevent it, who is at risk, areas of outbreak, and how it is spread. In addition, I was also able to take advice from Mr. Asano and use a website called “virus explorer” to find the correct structure of my virus. 

One thing that I could have improved upon while researching would be to go to the Youth Clinic located in New Westminster. This clinic educates youth who are under the age of twenty-one on sexuality and health. My mom – who is a registered nurse – had told me about it, and I most likely would have been able to expand my knowledge even more and learn from certified doctors.