Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the spiral bacteria called Treponema pallidum. Syphilis consists of
three main stages, primary stage, secondary stage, and latent stage. The latent stage may lead to a final stage called the
tertiary stage.
There are many cures to syphilis, and it is virtually eliminated from today's society. There are a few ways to contract the
disease, all of which can be prevented.
The primary stage of syphilis is characterized by a small lesion, called a chancre, which resembles a pimple, blister or
open sore. This occurs anytime between nine days and three months after infection. Fluid from the chancre is extremely
infectious, but usually painless. Normally it appears on the genitals or near where the bacteria entered the body. It often
hides and many people never realize that it is there. On women, the sore can be found hidden in the vagina or the folds
of the labia. On men, it usually hides in the folds of the foreskin, under the scrotum, or near the base of the penis. Men
more often than women will also have swollen lymph nodes in the groin. At this stage, the chancre is very infectious. It
will heal with or without treatment, but the bacteria will remain and begin to spread if untreated.
In the secondary stage, occurring about six weeks later, a generalized rash appears. It can last for weeks or months,
perhaps up to a year. Painless ulcers develop in the mouth. Most people discover raised areas around the genitals or
anus. The bacteria can be easily spread through mucous patches on the raised areas, which are called condylomalata.
Flu-like symptoms start to occur, and can come and go for years. These symptoms may include a rash (over entire
body or just on palms of hands and soles of feet), a sore in the mouth, swollen and painful joints, aching bones, and a
mild fever or headache. These symptoms usually disappear in 3 to 12 weeks. Some people even experience hair loss
during the secondary stage of syphilis.
The disease then enters a latent stage in which no outward signs or symptoms occur, however, the bacteria are active
inside your body, multiplying and attacking internal organs. The latent stage can last from 20 to 30 years. When second
stage symptoms completely disappear, the disease is no longer infectious. At this point, the "rule of thirds" comes into
play. Among the total number of latent syphilis cases, one-third will go away on their own, one-third will stabilize, and
Symptoms, which include diarrhea and abdominal pain, usually begin two to eight days after a person has been exposed to the bacteria and resolve within a week.
1. Wake County health officials are claiming that social networking apps are partly to blame for the sharp increase in syphilis cases around the area. According to the state Department of Health and Human Services, As of Friday, March 18th, there has been a recorded 1,113 early syphilis infections that were diagnosed in 2014, in the entire state as well as county, which is a 62 percent increase from the previous year, when 688 cases were reported. The article states that Wake County saw a total of 233 reported cases of syphilis last year, marking a 15-year high. A Wake County public health division director by the name of Sue Lynn said that when patients who contracted syphilis were interviewed in Wake County, many said they met their partner
may last one to three weeks. In many cases new clusters of blisters appear as
...ell wall synthesis (8). Individuals who are allergic to Penicillin can be treated with alternative oral antibiotics such as Tetracycline or Doxycycline (3). These antibiotics work by inhibiting protein synthesis (8). During the course of treatment the individual should abstain from sexual contact with their partner until there are no sign and symptoms of the disease or confirmation of a negative blood work. Also individuals should be annually tested and receive necessary treatment if needed to reduce the risk of infecting others (6). Syphilis can be prevented in many ways. First and foremost is by being in a mutually monogamous relationship, the correct use of latex condoms if you are not in a monogamous relationship, also by providing education about the damages the disease can cause and how it can be prevented by not spreading the disease with one another (6).
Throughout the ages, while the origins to this day continue to be debated, the strength and potency of the disease have rarely been in question. Syphilis, while not viewed as a huge threat due to a decreased number of cases in the mid-late 1990s, needs to be taken more seriously by the public because it is more dangerous than many realize, especially because it is extremely contagious, it is extremely elegant in the symptoms it produces, it has played a larger part in history than many would think, and there is a certain stigma which surrounds the disease, which in turn pushes individuals away from receiving the necessary testing.
In 1929, there were good intentions to help the African Americans. The Julius Rosenwald Fund tried to improve the health illnesses of African Americans by approaching representatives of the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS). Unfortunately, the Great Depression did not allow for this study to happen because it hit the Fund hard. Since there were no more funds, Dr. Taliaferro Clark, Chief of the USPHS Venereal Disease Division and author of the Rosenwald Study report, suggested that the treatment study could be partly saved by conducting a new study. This study became known as “Study of Untreated Syphilis in Males.”
Sexually active men and women of all races, ages, and socioeconomic backgrounds are susceptible to the gonococcal infection. However, out of the infected population, the CDC states 80% of the females and 10% of the males are asymptomatic. After incubation of five to seven days, males tend to display symptoms of swelling in the urethra, painful and more frequent urination, and abnormal penal discharge of a thick yellow exudate (pus). Similarly, females experience chronic abdominal pain, inflammation of the cervix, painful urination, bleeding or irregular menstrual cycles, fever and increased vaginal yellow discharge. Females have a higher risk factor of 60-90% of being infected after a single sexual encounter. Both sexes experience sore throat in oral infections if they are not asymptomatic. However, this response is most commonly mistaken as a viral sore throat.
Late-onset is what I’m most interested in, occurs four to ninety days from a “caregiving” environment, which is where the NICU comes into play (Anderson-Berry, 2014). The neonate outside of the womb, the skin, respiratory tract, conjunctivae, GI, and umbilicus becomes colonized and invasive microorganism can make its way into the body (Ande...
The disease was viewed as a black man’s disease due to its vast spread in the black race community. In this chapter, it is clear that the medical fraternity had formed opinion of the disease even before the start of the experiment. The theme of racial prejudice is brought out clearly in this chapter. The blacks are discriminated from the whites even after learning that syphilis can affect both races alike. The slaves received treatment like their masters just because of economic concerns and not because they were human like their masters. In chapter 3 “Disease Germs Are the Most Democratic Creatures in the World”, the writer points out that the germ theory changed the way syphilis is viewed in the society. It was clear that other emphasis such as sanitation, education and preventative medicine was necessary to combat the disease. The areas inhabited by the blacks were behind in healthcare facilities and service. In this chapter, the theme of unequal distribution of resources is seen. Whereas areas inhabited by the whites had better hospitals and qualified professionals to deal with the
They appear as an ulcer, blister or a cluster of blisters that may break open, leak and then scab over and can be very painful. Warnings of an oncoming outbreak include itching, burning and or tingling of the lips or skin around the mouth. After the lesion or lesions appear, you may experience a fever, sore throat, swollen glands, and pain.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases Sexually Transmitted Diseases STDs, a.k.a venereal diseases, infectious diseases passed from one person to another during sexual contact. STDs are the most common infections known. More than 12 million people in the United States, including 3 million teenagers, are infected with STDs every year. The United States has the highest STD rate in the world about one in ten Americans will contract an STD during his or her lifetime. People who do not know they are infected risk infecting their sexual partners and, in some cases, their unborn children. If left untreated, these diseases may cause pain or may destroy a woman's ability to have children. Some STDs can be cured with a single dose of antibiotics, but AIDS cannot be cured. Those most at risk for contracting STDs are people who have unprotected sex—without using a condom, people who have multiple partners, and people whose sex partners are drug users who share needles. Static’s show that Americans between the ages of 16 and 24 are most likely of catching STDs than older adults, because younger people usually have multiple sexual partners than an older person in a long-term relationship. Teenagers may be embarrassed to tell their sexual partners they are infected Teenagers may also be embarrassed or unable to seek medical attention for STDs. This means that they only more likely to pass the disease to other young people and have a greater risk of suffering the long-term consequences of untreated STDs. STDs are transmitted by infectious bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi, and single-celled organisms called protozoa that live in warm, moist parts of the body, like the genital area, mouth, and throat. Most STDs are spread while having sex, but oral sex can also spread disease. Some STDs are passed from a mother to her child while pregnant, when the disease enters the baby's bloodstream, during childbirth as the baby passes through the birth canal, or after birth, when the baby drinks infected breast milk. AIDS can be transmitted by blood contact such as open wounds, between people who share infected needles or received through an injection of infected blood. Some people believe that STDs can be transmitted through shaking hands or other casual contact, or through contact with inanimate objects such as clothing or toilet seats, but they can’t. Chlamydeous, is from trachoma is bacterium, is the most commonly transmitted STD in the United States.
swelling of the vulva. One of the most commons signs of the yeast menace is leaking a fluid, which