Syphilis Essay

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by a corkscrew-shaped bacteria called Treponema pallidum. Anyone who is sexually active may catch syphilis, but those at greater risk include: people diagnosed with any STD, people with a sex partner diagnosed with any STD, people with more than one sex partner, people with a new sex partner, or people who exchange sex for money or drugs. Syphilis is spread directly from person to person by direct contact with an infectious lesion. The contact could be through genital intercourse, oral intercourse, or anal intercourse. The bacteria passes through intact mucous membranes and abraded skin; they’re then transferred by the blood stream to every organ in the body. Babies are also at a high risk of getting syphilis from their mothers if the mothers are infected during pregnancy. …show more content…
Syphilis is arranged in different types of stages with various symptoms associated with each stage; sometimes there aren’t any symptoms for several years. Contagious stages include primary, secondary and occasionally during the early latent phase. Primary …show more content…
For infections that have remained untreated for over a year, or for pregnant women with syphilis, one injection weekly for three weeks (total of three shots) may be prescribed. In untreated syphilis, signs and symptoms range from inapparent to symptoms that indicate severe damage to one or more organ systems in the body, including: brain and nervous system, heart and circulatory system, and destructive lesions in the skin, bones, brain, or internal organs. People who don’t have a mutually monogamous, steady, or lifelong sex partner can avoid exposure to this infection by using a condom correctly and consistently, which can help protect them from exposure to syphilis and other sexually transmitted