Syphilis
#95
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the Treponema pallidum bacterium. If left untreated, syphilis can cause severe/permanent damage to the brain, nerves, eyes, and heart.
Transmission
Syphilis spreads through direct skin-to-skin contact with a syphilis sore or rash, most often during sexual activity. Pregnant women with syphilis can also pass the infection to their baby (congenital syphilis).
Stages & Symptoms
Primary stage: usually 3 weeks after exposure
a small, painless sore (some people get multiple) at the location where the bacteria entered your body (usually around the genitals, rectum, or mouth)
usually lasts 3-6 weeks and heals on its own
enlarged lymph nodes
if left untreated, syphilis will progress to the second stage
Secondary stage: a few weeks after the original sore heals
rough skin rash (commonly found on palms of hands or soles of feet)
sores in the mouth or genitals
headaches
hair loss
swollen lymph nodes
weight loss
fatigue
muscle/joint pain
symptoms can come and go for months or years; if left untreated, syphilis will progress
Latent stage: if you don’t get treated during the first two stages, the disease progresses to this stage
no symptoms
may last for years
if left untreated, syphilis may start damaging your organs
Tertiary stage: 10-30 years after initial infection, though most people with untreated syphilis do not develop tertiary syphilis
a range of health problems due to syphilis spreading to your internal organs:
nerve/brain damage
heart disease
seizures
paralysis
blindness
can result in death
Treatment
Syphilis can be treated and cured with antibiotics (usually penicillin).
Syphilis in History: Tuskegee Syphilis Study
Officially titled “The Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male,” the Tuskegee Syphilis Study is considered one of the most unethical studies in the history of medical research. The goal of the study was to observe the natural course of untreated syphilis in African American men to document its long-term effects. Conducted between 1932 and 1972 by the U.S. Public Health Service, the study enrolled 399 Black men with syphilis and 201 uninfected Black men as a control group. Participants were told they were being treated for “bad blood” rather than being informed of their actual diagnosis. In addition, treatment was deliberately withheld from the participants, even after penicillin became a safe and widely available cure. The study was rooted in the “scientific racism” that was widespread during the early 1900s, which portrayed Black people as biologically inferior and undeserving of equal care. The Tuskegee Syphilis Study ultimately caused 128 men to die from untreated syphilis or related complications and resulted in infections in 40 wives and 19 children. It also contributed to a mistrust of the medical system among Black communities that persists to this day.
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