Syphilis
What is syphilis?
How is
syphilis spread and how can I avoid it?
Could I tell if a partner has syphilis?
Is syphilis particularly harmful to women?
Is
there a cure for syphilis?
Is there any connection between syphilis and the
nervous system?
Also
See:
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Return to Frequently Asked Questions Index
What is syphilis?
Syphilis is a
sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by a bacteria (Treponema
pallidum). The disease proceeds via four stages as the bacteria makes it's
way to different organs in the body. The early symptoms of syphilis can be
very mild during the early stages; later, when syphilis is no longer
contagious,untreated syphilis can cause serious heart abnormalities,
mental disorders, blindness, other neurological problems, and death. There
is growing concern about the increased susceptibility to HIV, the virus
that causes AIDS, for those in the early stages of syphilis, if they have
sex with someone infected with HIV.
How is syphilis spread and how
can I avoid it?
The bacterium
spreads from the sores of an infected person to the mucous membranes of
the genital area, the mouth, or the anus of a sexual partner; it can also
pass through broken skin on other parts of the body. The syphilis
bacterium is very fragile and is rarely, if ever, spread by contact with
objects such as toilet seats or towels. An infected pregnant woman can
pass the bacterium to her unborn child, who may be born with serious
mental and physical problems as a result of this infection. The most
common way to get syphilis is through sexual intercourse with an infected
individual. As is the case for other STDs, high risk factors for
contracting syphilis include having multiple sex partners, having sexual
relations with an infected partner, having a history of STDs, and not
using condoms. You can protect yourself from contracting syphilis by
avoiding contact with infectious sores and other infected tissues and body
fluids of syphilitic individuals. As with many other STDS, likelihood of
infection is reduced with limiting the number of sex partners and using
condoms during sexual intercourse. Scientists are also working on a
vaccine.
Could I tell if
a partner has syphilis?
The first symptom of
primary syphilis is a sore called a chancre ("shan-ker"), which can appear
within 10 days to 3 months after exposure. Chancres usually develop on the
part of the body exposed to the bacteria, such as the penis, the vulva, or
the vagina, as well as the cervix, tongue, lips, or other parts of the
body. Because the chancre is ordinarily painless and sometimes occurs
inside the body, it may go unnoticed. The next stage of syphilis is marked
by a skin rash that appears anywhere from 3 to 6 weeks after the chancre
appears, sometimes accompanied by symptoms like mild fever, fatigue,
headache, sore throat, as well as patchy hair loss, and swollen lymph
glands throughout the body.
Syphilis has
sometimes been called "the great imitator" because its early symptoms are
similar to those of many other diseases. There are three ways to diagnose
syphilis: a doctor’s recognition of its signs and symptoms, microscopic
identification of syphilis bacteria and blood tests. A combination of
these approaches allows clinicians to detect syphilis and determine the
stage of infection.
Is syphilis
particularly harmful to women?
Pregnant, infected
women untreated for syphilis often pass the bacteria to their unborn
children, resulting in stillbirth (1 in 4) or in an infected infant (40-70
percent). The effects of syphilis on infants include skin sores, rashes,
fever, jaundice, anemia, and various deformities, along with weakened or
hoarse crying sounds and swollen liver and spleen. Testing and treatment
early in pregnancy is the best way to prevent syphilis in infants and
should be a routine part of prenatal care.
Is there a cure for
syphilis?
Syphilis is usually
treated with penicillin or other antibiotics. In all stages of syphilis,
proper treatment will cure the disease, but in late syphilis, damage
already done to body organs cannot be reversed.
Is there any connection between syphilis and the nervous system?
About 3 to 7 percent
of persons with untreated syphilis develop neurosyphilis, when the
bacteria invade the nervous system during the early stages of infection.
There may or may not be symptoms like headache, stiff neck, fever from
tissue inflammation, seizures, or even symptoms of stroke with resulting
numbness, weakness, or visual complaints.
from
The Office On Women's Health - US Department of Health and Human Services
Return to Frequently Asked
Questions Index
|
