The first recorded epidemic of syphilis happened during the Renaissance in 1495, but the disease was around for many years before then. Many clinicians considered syphilis a disease of the past, but this sexually transmitted disease is today once again rearing its ugly head in many countries, including Anguilla.
What is syphilis?
The cause of syphilis is a bacterium called Treponema pallidum. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease and is usually spread through unprotected vaginal, oral or anal sex, or sharing sex toys. The infection is passed from person to person through contact with a syphilis sore (ulcer). Anybody who is sexually active is potentially at risk of developing this infection if he/she is having sex with an infected individual. It may also be possible to catch syphilis if you inject yourself with drugs, and you share needles with somebody who is infected or through blood transfusions. Syphilis can also be passed from mothers to unborn children.
It should be pointed out that syphilis cannot be spread by using the same toilet, clothing, cutlery or bathroom as an infected person.
After the initial infection, the syphilis bacteria can remain inactive (dormant) in your body for decades before becoming active again. Early syphilis can be cured, sometimes with a single shot (injection) of penicillin. Without treatment, syphilis can severely damage your heart, brain or other organs, and can be life-threatening.
What are some symptoms of syphilis?
Syphilis develops in stages, and symptoms vary with each stage. Sometimes the stages may overlap, and symptoms do not always occur in the same order. You may be infected with syphilis and not notice any symptoms for years.
The symptoms at the first stage of the infection include a small painless sore called a ‘chancre’ found at the site of infection.
It is more frequently found on the penis or the vagina or around the anus. It may appear on the fingers, mouth, lips or buttocks. Your glands in your neck, groin or armpits may also swell.
These symptoms disappear within eight weeks even without treatment, and worryingly some people may not experience any symptoms at all or may not notice them. This does not mean the infection has gone. Without treatment it will develop into the secondary stage, known as secondary syphilis.
Syphilis is divided into stages (primary, secondary, latent and tertiary) and there are different signs and symptoms associated with each stage.
Congenital syphilis
Babies born to women who have syphilis can become infected through the placenta or during birth. Most newborns with congenital syphilis have no symptoms, although some experience a rash on the palms of their hands and the soles of their feet. Later signs and symptoms may include deafness, teeth deformities and saddle nose — where the bridge of the nose collapses.
However, babies born with syphilis can also be born too early – be born dead (stillborn) or die after birth.
Diagnosis
If you have symptoms suggestive of syphilis, or was treated for any other sexually transmitted infection, you should be tested for syphilis. Your doctor should carry out a detailed history and physical examination – and once the diagnosis is confirmed treatment should be instituted.
How is syphilis treated?
If you have syphilis, you will be treated with a short course of antibiotics. Treatment is essential because the infection does not go away on its own.
Antibiotics are usually enough to treat the infection, but the type of antibiotic you will be prescribed will depend on how long you have had syphilis. It is important to avoid sex until the syphilis sores are completely healed, and a test confirms that the syphilis infection has gone.
It is also important to tell your current sexual partner(s) so that they can also be tested and treated if necessary.
Prevention
There is no vaccine for syphilis. To help prevent the spread of syphilis the following suggestions might prove beneficial:
• Abstain or be monogamous. The only certain way to avoid syphilis is to not have (abstain from) sex. The next-best option is to have mutually monogamous sex in which both persons have sex only with each other and neither partner is infected.
• Use a latex condom. Condoms can reduce your risk of contracting syphilis, but only if the condom covers the syphilis sores.
• Avoid recreational drugs. Misuse of alcohol or other drugs can inhibit your judgment and lead to unsafe sexual practices.
Conclusion
Syphilis has been around for many years. It was once considered a disease of history, but recently there has been a marked increase in the number of individuals infected with this sexually transmitted disease. This infection can be easily diagnosed, and if diagnosed in its early stages can be successfully treated. Untreated individuals can develop serious complications some of which can be fatal. If you suspect that you have a sexually transmitted infection see your healthcare provider as soon as possible.
Ask Your Dr is a health education column and is not a substitute for medical advice from your physician. The reader should consult his or her physician for specific information concerning specific medical conditions. While all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that all information presented is accurate, as research and development in the medical field are ongoing, it is possible that new findings may supersede some data presented.
Dr Brett Hodge MB BS DGO MRCOG is an obstetrician/Gynaecologist and Family Doctor with over thirty-six years in clinical practice. Dr Brett Hodge has a medical practice in The Johnson Building in The Valley (Tel: 264 497 5828).
