What is Syphilis?
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by a bacterium. Syphilis can cause long-term complications and/or death if not treated right. Syphilis is caused by direct contact with syphilis sores from one person to another. But where do these sores exist? Syphilis sores occur mainly on the external genitals, vagina, anus, or in the rectum. These sores can occur on the lips and in the mouth. Syphilis can be given during vaginal, anal, or oral sexual contact.
How do you know if you have Syphilis?
After becoming infected with syphilis, there is an average of around 21 days before the first signs and symptoms of the disease appear.
Some of these symptoms for women include:
Stage 1: Chancres may be difficult to notice and are highly infectious. The usual locations for chancres are:
1. The person will no longer experience any symptoms of the earlier stages, but their infection can still be diagnosed with a blood test.
2. At this stage that syphilis can affect the heart and possibly the nervous system.
3. If treatment for syphilis is given during the latent stage the infection can be cured. However, any heart or nervous-system damage that occurred before the start of treatment may be irreversible.
Can Syphilis be treated?
Syphilis can be treated mostly through antibiotic treatment. The most common medication used ispenicillin. Doxycycline may be used if you are allergic to penicillin. Antibiotics can cure Syphilis in stages one and two. Although, when stage three comes along, the damage that has already happen has to be treated, but is often difficult or impossible to repair.
Possible complications/health consequences:
1. If Syphilis is left untreated, it may start to cause very serious damage. The damage can be done to the heart, brain, eyes, other internal organs, bones and nervous system.
2. There is no evidence to support that Syphilis will affect fertility.
3. If the syphilis is untreated you may pass the infection to your baby in the uterus. This can lead to miscarriage or stillbirth, or the baby being born with syphilis.
Sources:
http://www.cdc.gov/std/syphilis/stdfact-syphilis.htm
http://www.avert.org/syphilis.htm
http://www.sexualhealthwestsussex.nhs.uk/sexually-transmitted-infections/syphilis/consequences/
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by a bacterium. Syphilis can cause long-term complications and/or death if not treated right. Syphilis is caused by direct contact with syphilis sores from one person to another. But where do these sores exist? Syphilis sores occur mainly on the external genitals, vagina, anus, or in the rectum. These sores can occur on the lips and in the mouth. Syphilis can be given during vaginal, anal, or oral sexual contact.
How do you know if you have Syphilis?
After becoming infected with syphilis, there is an average of around 21 days before the first signs and symptoms of the disease appear.
Some of these symptoms for women include:
Stage 1: Chancres may be difficult to notice and are highly infectious. The usual locations for chancres are:
- On the vulva (outside the vagina) or on the cervix (neck of the womb) in women.
- On the penis in men.
- Around the anus and mouth (both sexes).
- A flu-like illness, a feeling of tiredness and loss of appetite, accompanied by swollen glands (this can last for weeks or months).
- A non-itchy rash covering the whole body or appearing in patches.
- Flat, warty-looking growths on the vulva in women and around the anus in both sexes.
- White patches on the tongue or roof of the mouth.
- Patchy hair loss.
1. The person will no longer experience any symptoms of the earlier stages, but their infection can still be diagnosed with a blood test.
2. At this stage that syphilis can affect the heart and possibly the nervous system.
3. If treatment for syphilis is given during the latent stage the infection can be cured. However, any heart or nervous-system damage that occurred before the start of treatment may be irreversible.
Can Syphilis be treated?
Syphilis can be treated mostly through antibiotic treatment. The most common medication used ispenicillin. Doxycycline may be used if you are allergic to penicillin. Antibiotics can cure Syphilis in stages one and two. Although, when stage three comes along, the damage that has already happen has to be treated, but is often difficult or impossible to repair.
Possible complications/health consequences:
1. If Syphilis is left untreated, it may start to cause very serious damage. The damage can be done to the heart, brain, eyes, other internal organs, bones and nervous system.
2. There is no evidence to support that Syphilis will affect fertility.
3. If the syphilis is untreated you may pass the infection to your baby in the uterus. This can lead to miscarriage or stillbirth, or the baby being born with syphilis.
Sources:
http://www.cdc.gov/std/syphilis/stdfact-syphilis.htm
http://www.avert.org/syphilis.htm
http://www.sexualhealthwestsussex.nhs.uk/sexually-transmitted-infections/syphilis/consequences/