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Syphilis

What is it?

Syphilis is a bacterial infection that starts out as open sores around the penis or vulva or in the vagina. If left untreated, it may go on to more advanced stages and eventually lead to serious health complications including heart and neurological problems, even death. It used to be quite common but thankfully syphilis is relatively rare these days and curable in is early stages


How do you get it?

By having unprotected vaginal or anal sex with someone who is already infected.
By having oral sex without a condom or dental dam with someone who is infected.
Direct contact with a syphilis sore.
From mother to fetus – syphilis can cross the placenta and infect the fetus in the uterus.


How do you avoid it?

Abstain from sex altogether.
Engage in safer sexual practices like kissing, hugging, touching and massage (especially with your clothing on because you don’t want to touch any sores around the genital areas).
Limit how many sexual partners you have (less partners means you are less likely to get an STI).
Think about your partner’ sexual history (if he or she has had a lot of partners and/or does not practise safer sex then it puts you at a higher risk).
Use male and female condoms for vaginal and anal sex.
Use dental dams or condoms for oral sex.

Note: Condoms protect some parts of the body but may not cover sores at the base of the penis, on the outside of the vulva or on the rectum.


Symptoms

It can be hard to tell if you have syphilis because it mimics or acts like many other illnesses. If syphilis is not treated, it can progress through three stages. It is most contagious during the first two stages and does the most harm in the stage. Once again, some people do not get any symptoms and others get some or all that are listed below. Don't be fooled into thinking that it has gone away just because your symptoms clear up. If you don't get treated, it will stay in your body and move to the next stage. You can also infect another person at any time if you are infected.

Small round sores appear on or around the infected area (penis, vagina, vulva, rectum or throat). These sores can range in size from a pinpoint to the size of a quarter. They usually appear 9 to 90 days after contact and this is when you are most likely to infect another person. They will heal up on their own in 3-8 weeks but it does not mean the infection is actually gone. If you have a sore, even one, then you need to check it out with a healthcare professional immediately.
About three months after getting syphilis, a person who is not treated may start to develop a whole bunch of flu-like symptoms and problems including:

• Muscle and joint pain
• Fever
• Swollen lymph nodes (around your neck)
• A painless rash on the whole body
• Hair loss
• Weight loss

These symptoms typically last 3 to 12 weeks and clear up on their own but the infection stays in the body and can be passed to someone else through unprotected sex.
After the first two stages, an infected person can enter a latent stage of syphilis where they have no symptoms for up to 40 years. Sometimes a person returns back to experiencing secondary symptoms but not everyone. The bacteria remain in the body, however, and can continue to multiply. In this last stage, some people develop very serious health complications including blindness, deafness, paralysis, brain and heart disease and even death.



Testing

If you suspect you have syphilis, you need to get tested regardless of what stage you are in. A doctor or nurse will examine the sores and take a swab for testing. You may also get a blood test. Do not assume that this test is included in your regular pap test - ask for a syphilis test.


Treatment

Syphilis is easily cured with antibiotics in its early stages. It can be treated at any stage but the antibiotics will not repair damages that are already done to your body.


If Left Untreated

If left untreated, syphilis can lead to serious problems and life-threatening complications (see stage three of symptoms above). If it is passed to a fetus during pregnancy it can lead to congenital syphilis which is serious and can damage a baby’s bones, eyes, skin, teeth and liver.
Did you know that several famous people are believed to have died from complications due to syphilis including King Henry VIII, Napoleon, Al Capone and Vincent Van Gogh. Thankfully syphilis is relatively rare these days and easily cured.