$Unique_ID{BRK00867}
$Pretitle{Infections or Parasites, Genitourinary System}
$Title{Is Syphilis Still Considered a Dangerous Disease?}
$Subject{syphilis chancre STD}
$Volume{A-23, J-23}
$Log{}

Copyright (c) 1991   Tribune Media Services, Inc.


Is Syphilis Still Considered a Dangerous Disease?


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QUESTION:  With all the new developments in medicine, is syphilis still
considered a dangerous disease?  There doesn't seem to be much written about
it these days.

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ANSWER:  Yes, syphilis is a very serious, sexually transmitted disease still
raging throughout the world.
     Although the overall incidence of syphilis remained relatively stable
during recent years, cases of congenital syphilis (meaning a condition
acquired during a baby's development in the uterus, not through heredity)
increased by 77 percent between 1983 and 1985.  When pregnant women with
syphilis give birth, their babies almost always suffer from the disease.  Most
commonly found in cities, syphilis attacks about 90,000 Americans annually.
Syphilis occurs most frequently in men and women between 20 and 29 years old,
with about three times more males than females suffering from it.  It is most
prevalent among the poorly educated and economically deprived.  There are many
different effects from syphilis and most of them depend on how long a person
has had it.
     After exposure (yes, always from sexual contact), about 10 to 90 days
will pass before a "chancre" (often a single, visible, painless "sore")
develops on the part of the body involved in the sexual activity when the
disease was spread.  That is called primary syphilis.
     If medical treatment is not begun, increasingly serious results from the
disease will bring about loss of hair, sores on the genitals and mouth, fever,
sore throat, headache and pain in the bones.  Other, even more serious stages
can develop later which lead to death unless medical treatment is successful.
     Fortunately, syphilis can be treated and usually cured using modern
antibiotics.  But like all diseases, the quicker treatment is begun the
quicker a cure can be expected.  If you think you have been exposed to
syphilis, see a doctor IMMEDIATELY, you have little time to waste.
ÿ
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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace 
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your 
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical 
problem.
