What is syphilis ?
Syphilis is a highly contagious sexually transmitted disease. It is caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. You can get syphilis through oral, anal and vaginal sex. Coming into contact with an infected sore can also get you infected. You can transmit this STD to your baby through the placenta or during childbirth through an infected sore.
How do I know I have syphilis ?
Symptoms of syphilis varies depending on the stage.
Primary stage : It starts with a sore called chancre at the site of infection. The sore appears at the site of infection and may go unnoticed for a while because it is painless and may be hidden in the vagina or rectum. The initial sore may appear a couple of weeks after infection and may heal by itself within a week. Even though the sores heals, the disease does not disappear and progresses to the secondary phase.
Secondary phase : This phase usually begins six weeks to six months after exposure. Symptoms include :
- fever
- body rash usually involving the whole body
- sore throat
- muscle aches
- weight loss
- fever
- Flat, warty-looking growths on the vulva in women and around the anus in both sexes
- White patches on the tongue or roof of the mouth.
- joint pain
- decreased appetite
- patchy hair loss
- flu-like symptoms
With no treatment , the disease progresses to the latent or hidden stage. There are no signs and symptoms for this stage.