Syphilis: A Sexually Transmitted Disease

1349 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Brief syphilis research paper

Although it is easily preventable, over 36,000 cases of syphilis are reported annually in the United States alone (“STD Facts-Syphilis” 2010). Treponema pallidum is the bacterium that causes syphilis. Being one of the most common STDs, syphilis is a bacterial sexually transmitted disease that acts quite differently from the other common STDs because it acts in stages. Fortunately, there are antibiotics to cure syphilis; however, there are not cures for the other health related problems that it causes.

Syphilis is a bacterial STD caused by the Treponema pallidum bacteria. Syphilis is transmitted “through direct contact with a syphilis sore (“STD Facts-Syphilis” 2010).” The contagious sores can be chancre sores, which occur in the primary stage usually at the sign of infection, or a sore of the rash, which occurs in the secondary stage. Contact with these sores occurs most commonly through sexual contact, such as vaginal sex, anal sex, and other forms of sexual contact. The areas of the body that are most common to contract the bacteria are “regions of the body containing mucous membranes”, such as the “nasal lining, rectum, urethra, and vagina (Shmaefsky, Brian 2009).” The Treponema pallidum bacterium attaches to the mucous membranes (Shmaefsky, Brian 2009)”. This attachment structure is called a “bacterial ligand”, where the protein “attaches to chemicals such as sugars and proteins” and once this attachment occurs, the bacteria enters the bloodstream (Shmaefsky, Brian 2009). Syphilis attaches to cells and, overtime, slowly damages organs as the bacteria circulates through the bloodstream (“Syphilis” 2011). Another way to transmit syphilis is from mother-to-child. “Pregnant women with the disease can pass it to th...

... middle of paper ...

... - Today." CDC National Prevention Information Network (NPIN)- HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD and Tuberculosis (TB). The CDC, 14 Mar. 2011. Web. 11 Oct. 2011. .

"Syphilis Facts." DHPE. The Directors of Health Promotion and Education. Web. 11 Oct. 2011. .

Shmaefsky, Brian. Syphilis. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 2009. Print.

"Gynecologist” Dictionary and Thesaurus - Merriam-Webster Online. Merriam-Webster, 2011. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. .

"Gynecologist Salary." Gynecologist Salary. Gynecologist Salary. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. .

"Syphilis." American Social Health Association - Who We Are. American Social Health Association. Web. 20 Dec. 2011. .

Show More
Related

  • Chlamydia Trachomatis

    656 Words  | 2 Pages

    Introduction: Chlamydia Trachomatis is the organism responsible for diseases such as trachoma and the STD Chlamydia. Chlamydia is the most common STD in the United States, with about 4 million new cases diagnosed every year.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of The Tuskegee Experiment

    1339 Words  | 3 Pages

    Most people in the U.S. learn STDs in their health class in high school. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that causes sores over private parts or all over the body in a later stage. Syphilis is caused by a bacteria called spirochete. The spirochete cannot survive outside the body. The only way to get the disease is by intimate contact, but catching it is rare. Having more than one partner could increase the chances to catch the disease. The spirochete enters in a break in your skin genitals area or mouth. Once in your body, about three weeks it becomes a sore or have multiple sores. The sore looks like a crater on the surface of the skin. In the first stage it can be treated easily with antibiotics or penicillin. The second stage the syphilis spreads to the rest of the body. It is visible in your hand and soles on your feet. It can cause cardio-vascular disease, mental problems, paralysis, blindness and tumors. Syphilis has links to HIV/AIDS. It also attacks your nervous system. After infection it takes 21 to develop any symptoms for other people it takes from 10 to ninety days. It acts like no other disease known. The last stage is the deadliest if ignored, by the person. The damage obtained by syphilis is irreversible. By practicing safe sex (condoms), or having one sex partner can prevent these

    Read More

  • Havasupai Tribe Hypothesis

    532 Words  | 2 Pages

    The stigma of syphilis was because the symptoms were disastrous. Severe neurological (dementia, deafness, and mental illness), cardiovascular (heart attack, stroke), skin lesions and rashes all over the body, and death. Mercury and sulfuric elements were used to cure it until 1943 when penicillin came along. There 300,000 new cases of syphilis every year. Macon County, Alabama which was a primality black populated area had 35% infected with syphilis. With the great depression going on the budget, on curing syphilis Macon County was cut. In 1932, a new study was being constructed to effects of syphilis on the black

    Read More

  • Social Networking Apps: A Catalyst for Syphilis Spread

    1920 Words  | 4 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Essay On Treponema Pallidum

    999 Words  | 2 Pages

    According to the CDC website, there are 55,400 people diagnosed with Syphilis every year and 322 reported cases of congenital Syphilis in 2012 (6). Treponema pallidum 3 Mechanism of Pathogenesis Treponema pallidum is transmitted sexually through oral, anal, vaginal intercourse and from mom to baby during pregnancy or during birth (1). The human host is the only natural known for Treponema pallidum, but testing can be done on rabbits for primary and secondary infections (8). Once this pathogen enters the body it starts to multiply causing inflammatory responses and the development of chronic sores (8). How Treponema pallidum causes disease is by resisting ingestion by macrophages, causing the antigens to bypass opsonization, which leads to the infection of syphilis (8).

    Read More

  • chlamydia

    648 Words  | 2 Pages

    know it. You can be tested for chlamydia and other sexually transmitted diseases at your

    Read More

  • Gonorrhea

    473 Words  | 1 Pages

    Gonorrhea      Gonorrhea is a curable, bacterial, sexually transmitted disease caused by a bacterium called Neisseria gonorrhoeae (a member of the family Neisseriaceae). Bacteria are introduced during sexual contact. These bacteria can infect the genital tract, the mouth, and the rectum. It attacks the urethra in males, the cervix in females, and the throat. The majority of the organisms belonging to this family are non-pathogenic or commensals, however, gonorrhea is always pathogenic.

    Read More

  • The History of Syphilis

    2217 Words  | 5 Pages

    There is little at face value that would alert an educated individual to the severity and the danger of Syphilis – the bacterium which causes syphilis, Treponema pallidum, appears as nothing more than a simple bacterium. The bacterium is spiral in shape, and is classified as Gram Negative (meaning that the bacterium lacks a thick layer of peptidoglycan in its cell wall). Syphilis infects it's victims through a limited number of ways – the most common way, however, is by entrance through chafed, cracked skin and through mucous membranes. Because of this, Syphilis is so effectively transmitted through sexual contact and sexual activity that it is primarily known as a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI). However, Syphilis does not limit itself to only the aforementioned modes of transportation. The disease is also effectively transmitted through blood transfusions, not to mention the passing of Syphilis from mother to child in the womb during pregnancy (CDC 2007).

    Read More

  • What Is The Decameron And The Black Death

    881 Words  | 2 Pages

    been previously touched by an infected person, will transmit the disease to the healthy person who

    Read More

  • Blood Borne Pathogens and Disease Transmission

    989 Words  | 2 Pages

    Pathogens are a type of microorganism that spreads viral and bacterial diseases. These diseases when present in human blood and body fluids are known as blood borne pathogens, and can spread from one person to another. (Worcester polytechnic institute) The most serious types of blood borne diseases are the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV), which can cause liver damage; and HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), which is responsible for causing AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). The blood borne pathogens can be spread when the blood or body fluids (semen, vaginal fluid, breast milk, and amniotic fluid) of an infected individual comes into contact with mucous membranes or an open sore or cut on the skin of another person. Mucus membranes are located in the eyes, nose, mouth, and other areas as well. ("Bloodborne pathogens: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia") Two of the most common ways that pathogens are transmitted is through the exchange of fluids during sexual intercourse or by sharing infected IV needles. (Worcester polytechnic institute)

    Read More

  • Risk of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Annotated Bibliography

    633 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...ished the danger factors of scamming through dating in the romance department as well as the security and privacy section.

    Read More

  • King Henry Viii's Life And Accomplishments

    550 Words  | 2 Pages

    Syphylis is an STD caused by bacteria in an open wound (Dugdale). Many people believed that the alignment of the stars and planets was the reason he got syphilis. Other people thought it was a new type of plague (Smith). Syphilis is contagious and many people think he got it from one of his six wives.

    Read More

  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases ( Stds )

    2438 Words  | 5 Pages

    Today it is no longer a novelty to hear that teenagers are having sex. However, while this “bedroom” activity may be fun, there are now ample reports indicating that rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in teenagers have skyrocketed. Current data reveal that nearly 25% of adolescent girls who have sex are infected with one of the four commonly sexually transmitted infections-namely gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes and HIV (Kann et al, 2015). Nationally, the prevalence of STDs account for 50% of cases in people under the age of 25. While every ethnic and race has been known to be affected, African American youth are disproportionately affected. These data are not a surprise to professionals who are engaged in adolescent sexual health because the numbers have been slowly creeping up over the decades, despite national educational policies to counter the threat of STDs (Sales & DiClemente, 2016). All the STDs have a significant impact on sexual and reproductive health, if they are mot promptly diagnosed and treated. Although many preventive strategies have been implemented in all communities, the rates of STDs are still increasing (Madkour et al, 2016).

    Read More

  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases

    1045 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Syphilis Essay

    792 Words  | 2 Pages

    Syphilis is a sexually transmitting infection caused by Treonema pallidum, a gram negative, and anaerobic spirochete bacteria 1. Syphilis is thought to have been brought to Europe by Columbus and his sailors in the 1500’s 1. The disease is characterized by four different stages with varying symptoms depending on the stage that the disease is in1. Often syphilis is presented with another sexually transmitted infection such as chlamydia. Public education regarding safe sex is important for the prevention of this sexually transmitted infection.

    Read More

More about Syphilis: A Sexually Transmitted Disease

Open Document