Safe sex practices include avoiding the exchange of body fluids. The most essential component of counseling related to the prevention of sexually transmitted infections and human immunodeficiency virus is discussion of condom use. Nurses can help motivate clients to use condoms by initiating a discussion about which of the following?

Choice A reason: Herpes simplex virus is incorrect because it is not the infection described in the question. It is transmitted through direct contact with the skin or mucous membranes of someone who is infected, usually through oral or genital sex. Symptoms include painful blisters and sores in the mouth or genitals. It does not cause life-threatening infections, but it can increase the risk of other sexually transmitted infections.

Choice B reason: Human papillomavirus is incorrect because it is not the infection described in the question. It is transmitted through direct contact with the skin or mucous membranes of someone who is infected, usually through genital sex. Symptoms include genital warts and cervical cancer. It does not cause life-threatening infections, but it can increase the risk of other cancers.

Choice C reason: Human immunodeficiency virus is correct because it is the infection described in the question. It is transmitted through direct contact with the blood or body fluid of someone who is infected, usually through unprotected sex, sharing needles, or passed from a mother to a baby at birth. Symptoms may take 10 years or more to show. Once they appear, the person is susceptible to life-threatening infections, such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, or cancer. This condition is also known as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Choice D reason: Cytomegalovirus is incorrect because it is not the infection described in the question. It is transmitted through direct contact with the saliva, urine, or breast milk of someone who is infected, usually through kissing, sexual contact, or breastfeeding. Symptoms are usually mild or absent in healthy people, but they can be serious in people with weakened immune systems or unborn babies. It does not cause life-threatening infections, but it can cause birth defects, hearing loss, or vision problems.

Choice A reason: A biophysical profile score of 8 is a good indicator of fetal well-being, but it does not measure the fetal lung maturity. It consists of five parameters: fetal breathing movements, fetal movements, fetal tone, amniotic fluid volume, and nonstress test.

Choice B reason: Phosphatidylglycerol (PG) is a phospholipid that is present in the fetal lung surfactant. Its presence indicates that the fetal lungs are mature, while its absence does not rule out the possibility of maturity.

Choice C reason: Lecithin and sphingomyelin are two phospholipids that are found in the fetal lung surfactant. The L/S ratio is the ratio of lecithin to sphingomyelin in the amniotic fluid. A ratio of 2:1 or higher indicates that the fetal lungs are mature and can produce enough surfactant to prevent respiratory distress syndrome.

Choice D reason: A nonstress test is a test that measures the fetal heart rate and its response to fetal movements. A reactive test means that the fetal heart rate increases by at least 15 beats per minute for at least 15 seconds twice in a 20-minute period. This indicates that the fetus is healthy and well-oxygenated, but it does not reflect the fetal lung maturity.