Originally posted by rathcycle:
Syphilis
[b]what is
Syphilis
Syphilis is an STD caused by the bacteria Treponema pallidum. It's
sometimes called the "great imitator" because early symptoms are so
similar to other diseases. The disease proceeds through stages --
In primary syphilis, a chancre -- an open sore that's usually
painless -- appears, most commonly on the genitals, usually 10-90
days after exposure. In secondary syphilis, a skin rash appears, on
any part of the body, including palms of hands & soles of feet.
In tertiary syphilis, the disease spreads to internal organs, where
it can do serious damage. A pregnant woman can pass the disease on
to her child. Having syphilis makes a person more susceptible to
HIV. Early diagnosis is important because syphilis is readily
treatable with antibiotics.
how to find out if you got
it
To find out if you have syphilis the doctor must do a blood test.
Syphilis is easily treated with penicillin. However, left
untreated, syphilis is a deadly disease, and can kill a person
years after infection. The first sign of syphilis is often a sore
that doesn't hurt and that goes away even if you don't take any
medicine. This sore is called a chancre. It usually appears on the
penis, vagina, or rectum. Syphilis is most easily spread when
someone has a chancre.
There is usually only one chancre, but sometimes there are more.
The chancre is usually round. It often looks like several layers of
skin are missing. Women who don't get treated for syphilis can give
it to their unborn babies. Often these babies are born dead or have
brain damage!
These are other signs of syphilis:
Losing patches of hair
Losing eyebrows
A rash on the body (anywhere on the body)
A rash on the bottom of the feet or the palms of the hands are
another symptom of syphilis. You can not get syphilis by touching
this rash, unless there are open sores.
Most men and women will go through a period of time when they don't
have any signs of syphilis. They don't feel sick, BUT they still
have syphilis. This can happen after the chancre has gone away, but
before the rash appears. This can also happen after the rash goes
away or their hair starts growing back.[/b]
You forget to mention that syphilis if not effectively treated
initially can progress to neurosyphilis after a period of time for
some patients - usually 10 - 20 yrs & in some cases their
mental faculties are so badly affected that they need to be taken
care of in a psychiatric hospital. However this condition has been
almost completely prevented because of early effective
treatment
