What is syphilis?
Syphilis is
a very serious sexually transmitted disease (STD).
Syphilis is
caused by a germ you can get from any sexual contact with the penis,
vagina, mouth or anus of a person who has the disease.
A pregnant
woman can also pass syphilis to her unborn child.
Many people do
not know they have syphilis.
Many people
with syphilis look and feel perfectly healthy.
Even if you
don’t have symptoms, you can still pass syphilis to other people.
Too many
people who have syphilis do not realize they have the disease until they
have severe health problems.
Syphilis can be
deadly!
Syphilis
can be very harmful for both women and men if it isn’t treated early.
What are the symptoms of syphilis?
Syphilis
usually begins as a sore, called a chancre (“shank-er”), where the germ
has entered the body. This sore is usually on or near the genitals, but
it can also occur around the mouth or anus.
This sore
does not hurt and it goes away without treatment within a few weeks,
but the germ is still there and you still have syphilis.
Later,
there may be other symptoms, such as:
·
Rashes, especially on the
palms of the hands and bottoms of the feet.
·
Hair loss
·
Headaches, fever and sore
throat
·
Aches in the bones
·
Swollen joints
These
symptoms will also go away without treatment, but the germ is still
there and you still have syphilis.
If left
untreated over a period of years, syphilis can cause:
·
Arthritis
·
Blindness
·
Heart disease
·
Mental illness
·
Death
How do you know if you have syphilis?
The only
way to be sure is to get tested at your doctor’s office or an STD
clinic. A simple blood test can
tell if you have the disease.
What about
syphilis and pregnancy?
All
pregnant women should be tested for syphilis at their first prenatal
visit and at delivery. A
pregnant woman with untreated syphilis may have stillbirth (baby born
dead) or a baby born with serious physical and mental health problems.
What about
syphilis and HIV?
A person
with syphilis is at high risk for infection with HIV.
The syphilis sore can provide entry point for HIV and other STDs. When
you get tested for syphilis, you should also get tested for HIV and
other STDs.
Syphilis can be
cured!
Syphilis
can be cured with medicine given by a health care provider. Since you
can have syphilis and another STD at the same time, you may have to take
more than one medication at a time.
If you have
syphilis or any other STD:
·
Take all the medicine
given to you
·
Follow your health care
provider’s directions
·
Call your health care
provider as soon as possible if the medicine gives you other problems
·
Tell your sex partner(s)
to get tested, or ask your
health care provider to tell them
·
Don’t have sex until a
health care provider says you and your partner(s) are cured
·
Don’t try to treat yourself
·
Don’t share your medicine
with another person
Get tested for
syphilis if:
·
You or your sex partner(s)
have symptoms of syphilis
·
You have had more than one
sex partner, male or female. The more sex partners you have, the greater
your risk.
·
You have had sex without a
condom
·
Your partner tells you that
they are being tested or treated for an STD
How can you stay
healthy?
·
The only sure way to avoid
syphilis and other STDs is to not have sex. Vaginal, oral, and anal sex
can all pass the disease from one person to another.
·
If you do have sex, use a
latex condom every time. When used the right way, condoms can help
keep you from getting syphilis. Be sure to put the condom on before the
penis touches the vagina, mouth, or anus. However, condoms may not
provide protection if infected areas are not covered by the condom.
Free testing is available:
Call 214.528.2336 to schedule an appointment.
Nelson-Tebedo Health Resource Center
4012 Cedar Springs (at Throckmorton)
Dallas, TX 75219
Monday-Friday, 9:00AM-6:00PM
Return to
Resource Center of Dallas main
page
Click
here for additional information resources. (RCD
helpful links)
Information
source: Texas Department of Health, 2004,
http://www.tdh.state.tx.us/
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