SYPHILIS

What is it?
Small spiral shaped bacteria called "spirochetes" that enter your body usually by sexual contact.  Once in the body, they enter bloodstream and vital organs.  Open sores of Syphilis make it easy for HIV and other STDs to invade your body.

How do I get it?
Sexual contact.  Sores around mouth or genitals of infected person (or anywhere spirochetes can hide) pass bacteria to sex partner.  Can be transmitted from infected person to open cut in skin of another person.

What are the symptoms?

  1. stage: 10-90 days after exposure, hard, red painless sore appears anywhere there has been sexual contact like penis, vagina, cervix, tongue, anus.  Get help immediately!  Disappears after 2-6 weeks if untreated but it's spreading silently thru body to cause stage two.

  2. stage months later: rash, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, weight loss, headache, hair loss.  Heals in 2-6 weeks.  Without treatment symptoms may disappear to return years later.

  3. stage: damage heart and cause paralysis, dementia, even death.

It is dangerous?
Untreated Syphilis doesn't go away but hides in your body.  Sometimes 1st stage has no symptoms or sore is so small you think it's a zit.  Any sore around mouth or genitals must be treated seriously.  1st and 2nd stage symptoms may vanish but syphilis hangs around for 3rd stage which causes blindness, senility, even death if treatment isn't provided.

Is it common?
Infection rates at highest level in 40 years because of drug abuse, poverty, careless sex.  Syphilis increasing dramatically among teenagers.  Also an increase in Congenital Syphilis in which infected mother passes Syphilis to unborn child.

How do you get rid of it?

Tests are available to detect Syphilis.  Treatment:  Large doses of penicillin or other antibiotic for as long as needed until cured.  Don't have sex until you're cured.  If not treated correctly, Syphilis can erupt years later as 3rd stage Syphilis with serious consequences.

REMEMBER:

To protect yourself from Syphilis always use condom with spermicidal foam, cream or gel.  Early Syphilis, with its sores and eruptions, can contribute to transmission of HIV.  If you're infected law requires you to give Public Health names of all of your sex contacts.  They must be tested and treated even if they have no symptoms.  Free exam and treatment are available at Public Health clinics.

For more information contact your local health department or physician.