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Syphilis
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Description
of the Disease
Syphilis is a very
serious sexually transmitted infection. Contact with the sores of an infected person
during sex is the main way it is passed from one person to another.
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Related Health
Department Web Links
Related
Outside Websites
Washington
State Department of Health Websites
Center
for Disease Control Website Links
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What
services are provided by Health Department
professionals for Cowlitz County?
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Distribution of
condoms.
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Consultation with
Public Health Nurses regarding the symptoms, treatment and prevention of
syphilis.
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Monitoring and
reporting levels of syphilis and other STI's in Cowlitz County.
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Referrals to
private health care providers for treatment.
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Symptoms
Primary Stage
- 10 to 90 days after sex (usually 21 days), a painless single sore
appears in the area where contact was made - the penis, anus, cervix
and mouth are common sites. The sore, called a chancre,
usually feels hard at the edges. It does not hurt. The
sore is full of germs. After 2 to 6 weeks, the sores go away.
Secondary Stage
- 6 to 8 weeks later, the secondary stage begins. It can last
from 2 weeks to 6 months. Symptoms include swelling lymph
nodes, rashes and a flu-like feeling. There may be sores on
the palms or the soles of the feet. These sores look like
flat, grayish warts or they are white with red borders. Like
other syphilis sores, they can spread the disease. These
symptoms start to go away in about 2 weeks. At this point
serious damage that can't be seen or felt happens to the heart,
nervous system, kidneys, eyes and brain.
Early Latent
Stage - This stage lasts up to 1 year from the time of infection
and has no visible signs.
Late/Late Latent
Stage - This stage begins after 1 year. While the disease
can't usually be spread in this period, silent damage goes on until
treatment or death.
Syphilis
can look just like herpes, warts, scabies or hemorrhoids.
Anyone with a single sore must be tested for syphilis. You can
have syphilis and other STIs at the same time.
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Populations
At Risk
Any sexually active
person can be infected with syphilis.
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Transmission
Syphilis
is sexually transmitted person to person through contact with an infected
sore. Sores
or chancres occur mainly on the external genitals, vagina, anus, or on the lips and mouth.
Transmission of the infection occurs during
vaginal, anal or oral sex. Pregnant women with the disease can pass
it to the babies they are carrying, which can cause stillborn babies
or babies that die shortly after birth.
Syphilis cannot be spread through contact with toilet seats,
doorknobs, swimming pools, hot tubs, bathtubs, shared clothing or
eating utensils.
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Potential
Complications
Syphilis
sores or chancres makes it easier to transmit and acquire HIV
infection sexually, increasing the risk to two to five times the
normal population.
Untreated
syphilis may further progress into the late stage. Damage to
internal organs may occur at this stage, resulting in difficulty with muscle coordination, paralysis,
numbness, blindness, dementia and even death.
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Prevention
The surest way to
avoid syphilis is to abstain
from sexual contact, or to be in a long-term mutually monogamous
relationship with a partner who has been tested and is known
to be uninfected. Latex
condoms, when used consistently and correctly, can reduce the risk
of transmission. Washing the genitals,
urinating, and/or douching after sex cannot prevent
transmission of syphilis.
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Diagnosis
& Treatment
Syphilis is
diagnosed by laboratory analysis of a blood sample, and is a must for every pregnant
woman. Any unusual discharge, sore or rash,
particularly in the groin areas, should be a signal to refrain from
having sex and to see a doctor immediately. Treatment is by
intramuscular injection of penicillin, an antibiotic. Treatment will
kill the disease, but it will not repair damage already sustained,
nor will the medicine prevent re-infection.
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