Syphilis is an extremely serious disease
if left untreated. The microbe, which causes syphilis, is transmitted from person to
person by direct sexual contact, such as:
Sexual intercourse (penis-vagina)
Oral-genital contact (mouth-genital)
Anal-genital contact (penis-anus)
Symptoms
Symptoms are the same for men and women. Untreated, the disease progresses, showing
different symptoms at each stage. The length of time each stage lasts varies.
Symptoms of the first stage appear from ten days to twelve weeks after infection.
Stage 1: Primary
A painless sore will appear on or round the sex organ which will clear up on its own. The
sore is often inside the vagina or rectum where it remains unseen.
Stage 2: Secondary
Body rash which may not be itchy, mouth sores, lumps, flu-like symptoms and a feeling of
ill-health.
Stage 3:
No symptoms. The disease seems to have disappeared, but antibody is present in the body
and can be detected by blood tests.
Late stage:
Apparent damage to heart, eyes, ears, and central nervous system.
At whatever stage syphilis is discovered, a person who completes a course of treatment is
no longer infections to anyone else unless reinfected by sexual contact with another
infected person.
The disease is most infectious to others during the first two stages when symptoms are
most noticeable.
It is important to know:
Syphilis can be treated safely. Regular medical checks and blood tests are important for a
person recovering from syphilis, and after.
It is rare of a baby to be born damaged by syphilis because every pregnant woman receiving
antenatal care has blood tests which can detect this disease, and if necessary, treatment
will be given to her and cure the fetus as well. |
