An Overview of Syphilis

Syphilis is one of the conditions that falls under the blanket of Sexually Transmitted Diseases or STDs. Syphilis is contracted through intimate contact in the form of vaginal, oral or anal sex. Although syphilis does have some symptoms they may not be recognized by every individual or they may be attributed to another condition.

If syphilis is left untreated it can lead to serious health complications including heart damage or blindness. Syphilis is easily detected through a test that can be ordered by your doctor.

Some interesting statistics in relation to syphilis include:

* There are three stages of infection that occur with syphilis. The primary stage, the second stage and late stage.

* Less than a third of the cases of syphilis go undiagnosed beyond the second stage.

* In the United States approximately 1 in 3800 people have syphilis.

* There are roughly 12 million cases of syphilis in the world today.

* In the United States the average number of deaths due to syphilis is 30 each year. In Africa that number is 89,000.

Diagnosis is generally done through a test ordered by a doctor. You cannot self-diagnose syphilis and it cannot be treated effectively with any over the counter product. It can be effectively treated with medication prescribed by your doctor.

Syphilis can affect a fetus if the mother is infected. It is believed that an average of 40% of pregnancies in mother’s who are infected with syphilis will result in a stillborn. Although syphilis can be treated during pregnancy the impact of the medication on the baby’s health needs to be taken into consideration. If you are pregnant when being tested for syphilis, mention this to your doctor.

Syphilis can be cured and with early treatment there will be no lingering effects. If you are sexually active, it’s a good idea to be screened for syphilis. Also don’t be embarrassed to ask any potential sexual partners if they have been tested recently as well.

Symptoms

Treatments
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