Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by a bacterium. Syphilis can cause long-term complications and/or death if not adequately treated.
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How common is syphilis?
CDC estimates that, annually, 55,400 people in the United States get new syphilis infections. There were 46,042 reported new cases of syphilis in 2011, compared to 48,298 estimated new diagnoses of HIV infection and 321,849 cases of gonorrhea in 2011. Of new cases of syphilis, 13,970 cases were of primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis, the earliest and most infectious stages of syphilis. In 2011, 72% of P&S syphilis occurred among men who have sex with men. There were also 360 reports of children with congenital syphilis in 2011.
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How do people get syphilis?
Syphilis is transmitted from person to person by direct contact with syphilis sores. Sores occur mainly on the external genitals, vagina, anus, or in the rectum. Sores also can occur on the lips and in the mouth. Syphilis can be transmitted during vaginal, anal, or oral sexual contact. Pregnant women with the disease can pass it to their unborn children.
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Example of a primary syphilis sore.
How quickly do symptoms appear after infection?
The average time between infection with syphilis and appearance of the first symptom is 21 days, but it can range from 10 to 90 days.
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What are the symptoms in adults?
Primary Stage
The appearance of a single sore marks the first (primary) stage of syphilis symptoms, but there may be multiple sores. The sore appears at the location where syphilis entered the body. The sore is usually firm, round, and painless. Because the sore is painless, it can easily go unnoticed. The sore lasts 3 to 6 weeks and heals regardless of whether or not a person is treated. However, if the infected person does not receive adequate treatment the infection progresses to the secondary stage.
Secondary Stage
Examples of a secondary palmar rash (above) and a generalized body rash (below).
Skin rashes and/or sores in the mouth, vagina, or anus (also called mucous membrane lesions ) mark the secondary stage of symptoms. This stage usually starts with a rash on one or more areas of the body. Rashes associated with secondary syphilis can appear from the time when the primary sore is healing to several weeks after the sore has healed. The rash usually does not cause itching. This rash may appear as rough, red, or reddish brown spots both on the palms of the hands and/or the bottoms of the feet. However, this rash may look different on other parts of the body and can look like rashes caused by other diseases.
Large, raised, gray or white lesions may develop in warm, moist areas such as the mouth, underarm or groin region. Sometimes rashes associated with secondary syphilis are so faint that they are not noticed. Other symptoms of secondary syphilis include fever, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, patchy hair loss, headaches, weight loss, muscle aches, and fatigue. The symptoms of secondary syphilis will go away with or without treatment. Without appropriate treatment, the infection will progress to the latent and possibly late stages of disease.
Late and Latent Stages
The latent (hidden) stage of syphilis begins when primary and secondary symptoms disappear. Without treatment, the infected person can continue to have syphilis in their body even though there are no signs or symptoms. This latent stage can last for years.
About 15% of people who have not been treated for syphilis develop late stage syphilis, which can appear 10–30 years after infection began. Symptoms of the late stage of syphilis include difficulty coordinating muscle movements, paralysis, numbness, gradual blindness, and dementia. In the late stages of syphilis, the disease damages the internal organs, including the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, blood vessels, liver, bones, and joints. This damage can result in death.
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How does syphilis affect a pregnant woman and her baby?
A pregnant woman with syphilis can pass the disease to her unborn baby. Babies born with syphilis can have many health problems. This may lead to low birth weight, premature delivery or even having a stillbirth (a baby born dead). To protect their babies, pregnant women should be tested for syphilis regularly during the pregnancy and at delivery and receive immediate treatment, if positive.
An infected baby may be born without signs or symptoms of disease. However, if not treated immediately, the baby may develop serious problems within a few weeks. Untreated babies can have many health problems (such as cataracts, deafness, or seizures), and they can die.
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How is syphilis diagnosed?
Darkfield micrograph of Treponema pallidum. Click to view full size.
A blood test is the most common way to determine if someone has syphilis. Shortly after infection, the body produces syphilis antibodies that can be detected by an accurate, safe, and inexpensive blood test.
Some health care providers can diagnose syphilis by examining material from a syphilis sore using a special microscope called a dark-field microscope. If syphilis bacteria are present in the sore, they will show up when observed through the microscope.
Special note:Because untreated syphilis in a pregnant woman can infect and kill her developing baby, every pregnant woman should receive prenatal care and be tested for syphilis during pregnancy and at delivery.
Find an STD testing facility near you
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What is the link between syphilis and HIV?
Oral, anal, vaginal, or penile syphilis sores make it easier to transmit and acquire HIV infection. A person is 2 to 5 times more likely to get HIV if exposed when syphilis sores are present.
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How is syphilis treated?
No home remedies or over-the-counter drugs will cure syphilis, but syphilis is simple to cure with appropriate antibiotics from a physician. Treatment will kill the syphilis bacterium and prevent further damage, but it will not repair damage already done.
Persons treated for syphilis must abstain from sexual contact with new partners until the syphilis sores are completely healed. Persons with syphilis must notify their sex partners so that they also can be tested and treated if necessary.
Who should be tested for syphilis?
Providers should routinely test persons who:
are pregnant
are men who have sex with men
have HIV infection
have partner(s) who have tested positive for syphilis
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Will syphilis recur or "come back?"
Follow-up testing is recommended to be sure that treatment is successful. Having syphilis once does not protect a person from getting it again. Even following successful treatment, people can still be re-infected. Only laboratory tests can confirm whether someone has syphilis.
Because syphilis sores can be hidden in the vagina, anus, under the foreskin, or mouth, it may not be obvious that a sex partner has syphilis. Unless a person knows that their sex partners have been tested and treated, they may be at risk of getting syphilis again from an untreated sex partner.
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How can syphilis be prevented?
Correct and consistent use of latex condoms can reduce the risk of syphilis when the sore or site of potential exposure is covered, but it is best to abstain from sex while any sore is present in the genital, anal, or oral area. Contact with a sore outside of the area covered by a latex condom can still cause infection.
The surest way to avoid transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, including syphilis, is to abstain from sexual contact or to be in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested and is known to be uninfected.
Transmission of an STD, including syphilis, cannot be prevented by washing the genitals, urinating, and/or douching after sex. Any unusual discharge, sore, or rash, particularly in the groin area, should be a signal to abstain from having sex and to see a doctor immediately.
Avoiding alcohol and drug use may also help prevent transmission of syphilis because these activities may lead to risky sexual behavior. It is important that sex partners talk to each other about their HIV status and history of other STDs so that preventive action can be taken.
Joy Musa O
Saturday 28 September 2013
Report of The Lugbe Community outreach, 27th July, 2013.
The maiden community outreach (know your status campaign) of the Fresh Life Care Foundation took place on the 27th of July, 2013 at the Lugbe community, a community in the suburbs of Abuja.
The Lugbe village is a community that is located along the airport and over time the population of this place has increased. According to history particularly oral tradition the village was founded by a hunter who is said to have migrated from a place in Niger state, when he arrived there he didn’t find animals, just birds and hence came the name “Lugbe” which means land of birds.[1]
The aim of the Lugbe outreach was to sensitize, test and counsel the people on HIV/AIDS. The Fresh Life Care Foundation was not alone in this course as it was backed up by various organizations, without these organizations the FLCF wouldn’t have recorded the success it did. These organizations were;
· Society for Family Health Nigeria
· Institute of Human Virology Nigeria[2]
· Orol Foundation
· CFHI[3]
The Lugbe community due to population increase has been faced with various societal problems such as unemployment and drug abuse which has been a bane in the Lugbe community. These problems have affected the way they take care of themselves as regards health. The unemployment factor is very important because it implies that they would not be able to take care of themselves well when faced by a serious health challenge.
This is a very serious problem because the people in the community already infected by the virus would not be able to get access to proper medical health care which could lead to the further spread (negligence or ignorance) of the virus or death.
The Outreach of July started about 11a.m with the representative of the Society for Family Health demonstrating the use and techniques of the female condoms to people of the Lugbe community and everyone present there.
Immediately after that, the FLCF and Orol Foundation team members quickly mobilized for a rally in the community which was led by the FLCF and Orol Foundation Coordinators and it lasted for about 2 hours.
Various mediums were used to get the attention of the community to get them to come and know their HIV/AIDS status. Music, role plays, fliers and talks were used to get the people tested and counselled.
To be noted was that the various organizations that supported the outreach came with various materials that were used to reach out to the community such as condoms and written materials. By the time the outreach ended about 3000 condoms and 100’s of different types of (written) materials were distributed in the community.
The Audience cut across all segments of the Lugbe community which comprises of house wives, shop owners, students, okada riders and everyone that could be reached in the community as a whole.
Before the rally came to an end the people had already begun testing at the venue setup for that purpose and the venue was the AMAC Primary HealthCare Centre which is in the heart of the community. The turnout was not much as anticipated because there was a similar outreach of the same sort occurred in the community only two weeks ago.
In all about 80 people got tested and were counselled about the HIV/AIDS virus. To be taken into serious consideration was the fact that the Lugbe community were reminded and re – orientated about the virus and ways to fight the epidemic to a standstill.
It is recommended that a rehabilitation centre should be made for the people already infected with the HIV/AIDS virus in the Lugbe community and organizations which empower youths with skills should also visit Lugbe to fight the unemployment situation in the community.
[3] In charge of testing
Monday 2 September 2013
HIV/AIDS: FALLACY OF THE WEST OR NAKED REALITY?
This morning, I got the depressing news that my boss had, in
the place of a weekend supposed to be spiced with meeting with some top
government brass and functionaries and, of course, some dose of spiritual
exercise, he had in fact spent the whole of Saturday and Sunday on the cushion
of a hospital bed. Though he looked nothing like one whose big plans had been
turned the other way round on the occasion of physical indisposition,
supposedly on the aegis of the excellent brand of healthcare available in these
“highbrow” medical facilities, there were a few glints of evidence of stress
and recuperation on him-slightly sunken eyes, the little droop on his
shoulders, and the merciless consumption of fruits. In his usual gay and
down-to-earth manner, he had regaled us of how it happened, and all the perks
of the story. His words:
‘’ I was terribly sick on Saturday. My wife had to drive me
to the hospital, to show you how weak I was even to drive. When I got there,
they had to put me on drips, three, in fact. Then they started to tell me about
blood and testing……and the doctor started to ask me if I was HIV positive… and
I said what about it…is is a death sentence?……I will just go to Agbalaka….and
that would be it. Look, gentlemen, there is nothing like HIV, it’s a big fraud
by the West. Listen there is a great similarity between malaria, cancer and what you call HIV, they
weaken the immune system. If I had not attended to what happened to me, I would
be dead in the next three days…..and when I went the next day for the results,
they asked me to get away from there……’
Throughout today, one thought has remained prominent on my
mind: can this be true? Could it be we have been expending useful energy and
resources on some wild goose chase that proves more virtual than realistic?
Could it be we are, Hamitic as we are according to both the Biblical and
historical facets of the story, bowing once again, as always to the antics and
dictates of the West? Now I know a lot of people and interests may begin to
throw questioning glances my way, the barrage of scientific and biological
hullabaloo hitting me from all corners and angles even before I finish my
sentence, and that is why I make this my view and opinion exclusively-one which
I am fully, totally and restrictedly responsible for and have a right to. This
is because it is based on findings which have been independently and rationally
conducted, with infallible facts as back-up. First, what else do we know about
HIV, other than that it is a virus transmitted mostly through sexual contact,
and other practices which make for a leeway into the blood stream? How does
that compare to other diseases like malaria, typhoid fever, even cancer, which
is even more deadly, and others? Again, if it is true that it is transmitted
through sexual contact, mostly, are we saying, in all sincerity, rationality,
honesty and fairness, that the amount of infections we record are commensurate
with the amount of sexual proclivity and perverseness actually going on? This
is not a statement made in the negative faith of desiring that more and more
people succumb in death to the pandemic, but with everything gravitating
towards sexuality in the mass media, advertising, dressing, speech, music,
movies, and the rate of the act itself (apart from other practices like
tattooing and piercings which have become like the norm these days) there are
more people healthy than there ought to be. Nobody should tell me there has
been sensitization and enlightenment, for there is little effect of a physical
solution to a spiritual problem. Again, why has there never been any talk of
the disease among our ruling class, and even the actual West, who are actually neck-deep
in the malaise of all forms of unfortunate sexual inventions and practices? Did
I hear someone tell me better management? I close ears to that, because I would
have none of that. Again I ask, why has the politics lingered over people who
have claimed to have the vaccine or even cure for the infection? Before our
very eyes Dr Agbalaka challenged whoever had the full-blown AIDS, not HIV, to
come forward and receive cure under three months, yet the discovery died a
natural death like a trampled tomato stem. One other doctor who got the cure
was murdered in cold blood in very mysterious circumstances.
Is there an ailment transferred by blood contact, that
weakens the immune system with time, nd turns its sufferers into wizened,
weakened vegetables before inevitable death? Of course there is. What is it
then? The answer is I do not know. But it could be anything normal, an
aggravation of a previously threatening condition. Attributing it to sexual
contact does not hold much water in the light of the argument hitherto
presented. I am not a medical personnel; neither am I versed in anatomy. But I
can sure put two and two together, and this line of thought seems sensible to
me.
Ogbonna Nnaemeka Henry.
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