Syphilis

Overview

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by a bacteria called Treponema pallidum. It is spread by direct contact with an infectious moist lesion, usually through sexual intercourse. Syphilis is also spread by blood and bodily fluids, the same way as AIDS/HIV, so you can get it from sharing needles with another person. Often people who use I.V. drugs get HIV and syphilis at the same time. Ask your partner if he or she has ever used I.V. drugs or needles to inject steroids.

The highest incidence of syphilis is in the 20- to 39-year-old group, but you can get it at any age. The disease progresses through several stages: primary, secondary, latent and sometimes tertiary.

Symptoms

During the primary stage, the main symptom is an open sore called a chancre (pronounced SHANKG-ker), at the point of contact. Primary syphilis is noticeable on men when the lesion is on the penis or scrotum. In females chancres may develop on the external genitals, but they are more common in the vagina or cervix (so you can't see them). The chancre heals within 1 to 5 weeks.

From 6 to 24 weeks later, symptoms such as a skin rash, fever, achy muscles and joints brings the person into the secondary stage. These symptoms also eventually disappear (in about 4 to 12 weeks) and the disease is no longer contagious. However, a blood test for syphilis will remain positive. This symptomless period is called the "latent" stage. This is when the bacteria begin to invade the organs of the body.

When signs of organ degeneration appear, the disease is said to be in the tertiary phase. Tertiary syphilis can occur as late as 20 years after the initial infection. When syphilis does go into the symptomatic tertiary stage, it becomes a very serious medical condition. Lesions develop in the organs of the body. The lesions grow in the liver, bone, brain, spinal cord and cardiovascular system. Central nervous system lesions can cause blindness, partial paralysis, memory loss or even make the person "go crazy"--dementia.

Untreated syphilis can cause a pregnant woman to have a baby with birth defects or often it will die while still in the uterus.

The incubation period--the period of time between infection and disease process--is 10 days to 3 months, averaging about 3 weeks.

Getting Tested

Syphilis can only be detected by a blood test, not by a culture or a pap smear. The blood test for syphilis is inexpensive and often free at your local clinic. Sometimes the incubation period can delay the test's sensitivity, so tests are usually repeated after 6 weeks when the initial tests are negative and the health care provider suspects you have syphilis.

Treatment

Syphilis can be treated and cured with antibiotics. The treatment of choice is penicillin, but if you are allergic to it, you can be treated with other antibiotics instead. This disease requires a long course of antibiotic treatment. Sexual partners should always be tested and sometimes treated even if they show no signs of infection.

Prevention

Always use condoms and spermicide during sexual intercourse if there is risk involved. Ask your partners about their testing status. Practicing abstinence is the only way to completely avoid the risk of syphilis--or any other STD.