Introduction
Syphilis Is A Bacterial Disease Which Is Commonly Transmitted Sexually. However, Transmission From A Mother To A Fetus Is Also Possible At Birth Or During Pregnancy Causing A Congenital Syphilis. The Bacterium Responsible For The Transmission Of Syphilis Is Known As Spirochete Bacterium. The Spirochete Bacterium Is Able To Penetrate Through Compromised Skin Or Contact Mucous Membranes. Therefore, If One Gets In Contact With Lesions Especially Through Kissing Or Doing Oral, Anal Or Vaginal Sex, Is Vulnerable To Contacting The Disease. Diagnosis Of The Disease Is Through Blood Testing Or The Use Of Black Field Microscopy (Winters 20).
Signs And Symptoms
It Is Indicated That The Signs And Symptoms That Indicate The Occurrence Of Syphilis Infection Depend On The Stage Of Development. There Are Four Stages Of Syphilis Development Namely: Primary, Secondary, Latent And Tertiary. In The Primary Stage, A Single Sore Appears On The Skin In The Place Where An Infection Occurred. For Instance, It Might Be On The Lips Or The Genitals. The Sore Is Usually Firm And Painless And May Last Three To Six Weeks. Hence, It Is Mostly Unnoticed (Cdc Para. 4). If It Is Unnoticed And Not Treated, It Develops To The Secondary Stage Where Multiple Rashes And Sores Develop On The Mouth, Anus Or Vagina. The Rashes Appear To Be Rough Reddish Brown Or Red Spots On The Bottoms Of The Feet Or/And The Palms Of The Hands. There Can Also Be Large White Or Gray Lesions In Warm Moist Regions Such As Groin Area And Underarms. It Is Also Noted That Sore Throats, Swollen Lymph Glands, Patchy Hair Loss, Fever, Weight Loss, Fatigue, Headache And Muscle Aches May Be Experienced At The Secondary Stage Of Development (Cdc Para. 5).
If A Person Is Not Treated At This Stage, Syphilis Progresses To The Latent And Tertiary Stages Of Development. The Symptoms Of The Secondary Stage Of Development Of Syphilis Disappear Automatically If Appropriate Treatment Is Not Done (Shmaefsky, Alcamo And Heymann 34). The Disease Develops To The Latent Stage After 10-30 Years Of Infection. The Symptoms Include Numbness, Dementia, And Difficulty In Harmonizing Muscle Movement, Paralysis And Gradual Blindness. In Its Tertiary Stage Of Development, Syphilis Causes Damage To Internal Organs Such As Heart, Brain, Eyes, Bones, Blood Vessels, Joints, Liver And Nerves. Additionally, At The Tertiary Stage, Occurrence Of Death May Take Place (Cdc Para. 6-7).
Prevention And Treatment Of Syphilis
Prevention Of Syphilis Is Through Abstinence From Sex Or Avoiding Contact With A Person Who Has Lesions Or Sores As A Result Of Infection. The Disease Is Usually Treated Through The Use Of Antibiotics Prescribed By A Physician. The Duration Taken To Cure Syphilis In An Individual Is Dependent On The Stage Of Development. The Antibiotics Kill The Spirochete Bacterium From The Body But Cannot Repair The Wounds And Sores That Were Caused By The Disease. The Latent And Tertiary Stages Of Development Require Injection Of An Appropriate Antibiotic For Effective And Complete Treatment While The Early Stages May Only Require Taking Tablets (Cdc Para. 14).
Statistics On Syphilis
It Is Generally Estimated That Syphilis Had Infected About 12 Million People Throughout The World By The 1999. The Majority Of The Victims Of Syphilis Come From The Developing World Consisting Of 90% Of The Cases. In The United States, About 55,400 People Are Infected Annually. In 2011, There Were 46,042 Cases Of People Reported To Be Infected With Syphilis. Of These Infections, 13,970 Cases Were Reported To Be Having Primary And Secondary Stage Of Development Of Syphilis. It Was Also Reported That The Highest Percentage (72%) Of People Who Were Infected With Syphilis With The Stage Of Primary Or Secondary Development Were Men Who Had Sex With Other Men. Nonetheless, There Were A Small Number Of 360 Children Who Were Reported To Be Infected With Congenital Syphilis In The Same Year (Cdc Para. 2).
Conclusion
In Summary, Syphilis Is An Infectious Disease That Is Transmitted Through Sexual Intercourse Or An Infection Of A Mother To A Fetus At Birth Or During Pregnancy. Syphilis Causes Lesions And Sores In Warm And Moist Places Of The Body As Well As The Palms, Under The Foot And Other Parts Of The Body. The Disease May Cause Severe Damage To The Internal Organs If It Develops To The Latent Or Tertiary Stage Of Development. However, Treatment Of Syphilis Is Easy And Can Be Achieved Through Administration Of Antibiotics. In Terms Of Its Preference And Occurrence, The Developing Countries Take The Lead In Registering The Highest Number Of People Infected With Syphilis. Nonetheless, In The United States, Homosexuals Take The Lead In The Number Of People Diagnosed With The Disease Annually.
Works Cited:
Centers For Disease Control And Prevention. Syphilis. 4 Sept. 2012. Web. 17 March. 2013.
Shmaefsky, Brian, Edward Alcamo And David L Heymann. Syphilis. New York, Ny: Chelsea House, 2003. Print.
Winters, Adam. Syphilis. New York, Ny: Rosen Publications Group, 2007. Print.
