What is Syphilis?
Syphilis is a curable sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by a kind of bacteria called a Spirochete (spy-ro-keet).
The Spirochete's scientific name is Treponema pallidum. The initial infection usually causes an open sore, called a chancre (shang-ker)
at the site of infection. From the chancre, the spirochete spreads throughout the body. Syphilis infection occurs in four stages,
named: primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary (late).
How many Americans have Syphilis?
It is estimated that about 20,000 new Syphilis cases
occur each year in the United States, and the rate of Syphilis in most of the country is the lowest it has ever been. However, here
in Stanislaus County, CA, we have been experiencing a recent surge in Syphilis infections.
What are the symptoms of Syphilis?
Syphilis has
several stages. Symptoms vary with each stage, but often there are no symptoms, even though serious damage may be happening.
PrimarySyphilis:
A painless open sore, the Chancre, usually appears 3 weeks to 3 months after infection. A Chancre may appear almost anyplace
on the body. The most common sites are the penis in men, near the vaginal opening or labia in women, or on the anus or in the rectum.
Once in a while the Chancre appears on the lips or in the mouth. Enlarged glands may also occur near the Chancre; for example, if
the chancre is on the penis or near the vagina, glands in the groin usually swell up. Both the chancre and any swollen glands usually
last 3 to 6 weeks, then clear up. But the infection doesn’t go away; it just continues into the secondary stage.
Secondary Syphilis:
Symptoms
of secondary Syphilis usually appear 2-3 months after catching the infection. Sometimes they overlap with primary Syphilis, but other
times the symptoms are delayed up to 6 months. The most common symptom is a spotty skin rash that may occur anywhere on the body and
often—unlike most skin rashes—involves the palms of the hands or soles of the feet. The rash usually doesn’t itch. Other common symptoms
are swollen glands in various areas of the body, fever, fatigue, patchy hair loss, weight loss, and headache. The symptoms are just
like those of many other health problems, so that Syphilis has been called "the great imitator". Secondary Syphilis symptoms usually
last anywhere from 1 to 3 months, but sometimes they last longer, and once in a while the symptoms come and go over a year or two.
But even after the symptoms of secondary Syphilis clear up, the infection goes on.
Latent Syphilis:
Latent Syphilis causes no symptoms.
The infection can be detected only by a blood test. If not treated, latent Syphilis continues for life. Many of these infections never
cause serious problems, but often the disease progresses to the final stage, called tertiary Syphilis.
Tertiary (late) Syphilis:
About
one-third of untreated people with Syphilis experience serious damage to various organs and body systems. Tertiary Syphilis can appear
any time from a year to 50 years after catching syphilis; most cases occur within 20 years. The brain, heart, liver, and bones are
the most commonly involved organs. Tertiary Syphilis can cause paralysis, mental problems, blindness, deafness, heart failure, and
death.
Congenital Syphilis:
Congenital Syphilis happens when a pregnant woman with Syphilis passes the infection to her baby in the
womb. Congenital Syphilis is the most serious form of the disease. Many cases result in miscarriage or stillbirth, and surviving babies
may have serious problems of the brain, liver, and other organs; some of these can be fatal or cause lifelong disabilities. Sometimes
congenital Syphilis is silent at birth but shows up later in childhood or even in the adult years. Congenital Syphilis is most likely
if the mother has primary or secondary syphilis when pregnant.
What happens to me if I have Syphilis?
If Syphilis is not treated, the
infection will progress through the primary, secondary, latent and perhaps teriary stages, described previously. If an infected woman
gets pregnant, her baby may get congenital Syphilis. Treatment stops the infection, but if organ damage has already occurred specially
in tertiary Syphilis the damage cannot be repaired and serious health problems may continue.
How is Syphilis transmitted?
Syphilis is
caught by having sex with someone who has been infected with Syphilis less than a year (i.e., someone with primary syphilis, secondary
syphilis, or latent syphilis for less than a year). Latent Syphilis more than a year old and tertiary Syphilis can no longer be transmitted
by sex. The Syphilis bacteria is very fragile and dies rapidly outside the body, so the risk of nonsexual transmission is very low.
Congenital Syphilis is transmitted internally, from the blood of an infected woman directly to the baby in the womb.
How do I avoid
infections with Syphilis?
· Abstinence from sexual activity is the surest way to avoid becoming infected with Syphilis (not having
any anal, oral or vaginal sex).
· The next surest way is to limit sex to one uninfected partner who only has sex with you (Mutual
monogamy).
· For those choosing to be sexually active outside longstanding, permanent relationship, condoms should be used correctly
and consistently to minimize transmission.
· Avoid sex if suspicious symptoms are present. If you think you could have Syphilis (or
any STD), seek immediate care at a STD clinic, hospital or health care practitioner.
· Before having sex, talk with your partner(s)
about syphilis and other STDs. Work out a risk reduction strategy with them that feels comfortable to both of you.
· If you have
syphilis (or any STD), notify all sex partners so that they can also seek and obtain treatment.
How do I find out if I have Syphilis?
Only
a health care provider can diagnose Syphilis. Tests for primary and secondary Syphilis include blood tests and tests performed on
fluid recovered from open chancres. Sometimes a spinal tap is necessary to check for signs of Syphiliss in the spinal fluid. This
is especially important when Syphilis has been present more than a year, when previous treatment has failed, or when the health care
provider has other reasons to suspect infection of the nervous system.
What is the treatment for Syphilis?
Penicillin shots are the
main treatment for Syphilis. A single shot of long-acting Penicillin usually is sufficient for primary or secondary Syphilis. Infection
for more than a year in duration, or infection of the nervous system, usually requires several doses of penicillin over a 3-week period.
Important:
Many common antibiotics do not work against Syphilis. Never treat yourself with an antibiotic left over from another prescription.
Sex
Partner Management:
The sex partners of persons diagnosed with Syphilis must be notified, and most should be treated for possible
syphilis even before the results of diagnostic tests are known. Public health works with each patient to make sure all possibly infected
partners are examined and treated. This often involves asking persons with Syphilis to provide the names of all of their sex partners
since the infection began. Public Health does not give this information to ANYONE. Public Health uses the information to let people
know that they may have been exposed to Syphilis and offer testing and treatment. Public Health does NOT say who might have exposed
them to Syphilis.
Follow-Up:
Even though symptoms always clear up after treatment, sometimes the first treatment doesn't completely
cure the infection. It is very important to have several repeat Syphilis blood tests to be sure the treatment worked. In most cases,
this means repeat blood tests 3 months, 6 months, and a year after treatment.
How does Syphilis effect pregnancy?
We are currently researching
this question, please check back for more information.
Resources & Information for Syphilis.
HIV/STD Hotline: 209-572-2437
HIV/AIDS
Program:HIVSTDInfo@SCAP4.org
CDC national STD/HIV hotline numbers:
800-227-8922 or 800-342-2437
Spanish 800-344-7432
TTY 800-243-7889
Websites:
Syphilis by
the American Social Health Association
