What is it?
Syphilis is an STI and bacterial infection. It is curable! However, if left untreated it can cause serious health problems such as neurosyphilis, which is a nervous system disorder.
Causes:
Syphilis is contracted through skin-to-skin contact with an infected person. Sores usually appear on areas such as the mouth, anus, vagina, or penis and is usually transmitted through oral sex or vaginal or anal intercourse. The sores are the contagious part of the infection that allow it to spread from one person to another when in physical contact. It is important to know that most people are unaware of the sores and unknowingly spread the infection to other people.
Symptoms:
The symptoms of syphilis are similar to many other STD’s and STI’s. There are four stages of syphilis. Some people have many symptoms, while others have none at all.
The four stages of syphilis:
The primary stage
The primary stage is usually an ulcer that forms in the area of exposure. This usually occurs about one to six weeks after the initial contact. Although these ulcers will disappear on their own, the infection is still inside the person and the person is still contagious. It is important to know that these ulcers may be inside your anus or vagina and therefore may go undetected.
The secondary stage
The next stage, the secondary stage, is a skin rash. This rash usually consists of large sores with infectious bacteria inside. Other symptoms, include fever, swollen lymph glands, weight loss, white patches inside mouth, headache, sore throat, and hair loss. Anyone who touches these sores are at risk of becoming infected. These symptoms can last for anywhere between a few months to a few years. They usually occur within six weeks to six months after infection.
The latent stage
The next phase is the latent stage. During this time, there are generally no symptoms at all. The person is unlikely to infect others during this stage although it is not impossible to do so.
The tertiary stage.
Lastly, the tertiary stage occurs when someone has been infected for an extended period of time. This is the most severe stage where the heart, liver, joints, bran, bones, and eyes are all at risk to being damaged by the infection. This can lead to blindness, mental illness, paralysis, deafness, dementia, heart disease and death.
Diagnosis:
To diagnose syphilis you can get the fluid from your unknown sores examined. Blood tests and spinal fluid tests can also be done to diagnosis this STI. It is important that all previous and current partners are tested as well and that after treatment you get retested to make sure the infection is fully gone.
Treatment:
Although syphilis can be a life threatening infection it can also be easily treated, usually with just a single does of penicillin. This usually works for someone who has been infected for less than a year. It is important to get tested for syphilis once a year in order to make the treatment process simple and easy and to avoid the health risks syphilis can cause if left untreated. If untreated for more than a year, additional doses on penicillin will be needed.
Prevention:
Barrier protection! So condoms!
Work Cited:
Corinna, Heather. S.E.X.: The All-you-need-to-know Progressive Sexuality Guide to Get You through High School and College. New York: Marlowe, 2007. 310-11. Print.
“Syphilis Symptoms, Causes, and Diagnosis.” WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 06 May 2016.