Syphilis

Mariam Chikovani’s Paper

What's syphilis?
 Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the bacterium Treponema
pallidum. It is transmitted from person to person via direct contact with a syphilitic sore,
known as a chancre. Infection develops in stages (primary, secondary, latent, and
tertiary). Each stage can have different signs and symptoms.
Stages of syphilis

 Primary
• Painless sores appear at the site of infection (mouth, anus, rectum, vagina, or penis).
These are called chancres.
• The sores heal on their own after 3 to 6 weeks, but you can still spread syphilis.
• It’s easily treated and cured with medicine.

 Secondary
• Rough red or reddish brown rash on palms of hands and soles of feet
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Fever
• Sore throat
• hair loss
• Headaches and body aches
• Extreme tiredness
• These symptoms will go away, even if you don’t get treated. But if you’re not treated,
your infection will get worse.

 Latent

• During this phase, the syphilis bacteria are still alive in your body, but you have no signs
or symptoms of the infection. You’re not contagious during this stage, but syphilis may
still affect your heart, brain, nerves, bones, and other parts of your body. This phase can
last for years.
• Not everyone who has syphilis will enter this phase of the infection. Some people will go
into the tertiary stage.

 How can it be spread?

 You can get syphilis by sexual intercourse. Syphilis also can spread from a mother with
syphilis to her unborn baby.
• You can not get syphilis through casual contact with objects, such as:
 toilet seats
 swimming pools
 hot tubs
 bathtubs
 sharing clothing