Syphilis- Chronic Bacterial Disease

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Syphilis is a chronic bacterial disease that is contracted chiefly by infection during sexual intercourse, but it also can be passed congenitally from an infected mother to her developing fetus. Syphilis can be transmitted from direct contact with syphilis sores which appear on the external genitals, vagina, anus, or in the rectum. Sores also can occur on the lips and inside the mouth. Pregnant women can put their child in danger of getting the disease if they do not get necessary medications. Syphilis can be a painful and disturbing condition and also fatal if it is not properly treated with the right medicine. To save you from the pain, suffering and cost, it is important to practice safe sex in order to avoid this nasty disease as well as other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
Syphilis symptoms begin to appear between 10 to 90 days and consist of a primary stage; and a secondary stage. The primary stage is the multiple sores that appear on parts of the body where the bacteria entered. The sores are firm, round, and usually painless and can easily go unnoticed which makes the disease more likely to move onto the secondary stage. The sores last for about 3 to 6 weeks but can heal even without the treatment, so it is pivotal for a person to get it checked out before syphilis hits the secondary stage.
The secondary stage consists of skin rashes and, sores in the mouth, vagina, or anus. The rash may appear on more than one part of the body and usually appears several weeks after the sores have healed. The rash can may or may not itch and appears as spots on your hands and, back, and usually develops in warm moist areas such as the underarm, groin area, and the mouth. The rashes appear as rough, red, or reddish...

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.... However, if caught early, syphilis can easily be treated with the help of penicillin(and other medications, if necessary). Residents of Washington D.C. have the highest rates of syphilis and should be more attentive of the signs, symptoms and treatments of this STD. Syphilis can easily be contracted if the proper precautions are not taken. When having sex make sure to use condoms and get tested regularly to ensure that no STDs have been contracted and if something is contracted get it treated immediately. Residents of Washington D.C. have the highest rates of syphilis and should be more attentive of the signs, symptoms and treatments of this STD.

Works Cited

http://www.cdc.gov/std/syphilis/stdfact-syphilis.htm http://www.cdc.gov/std/syphilis2011/DC11.pdf http://www.cdc.gov/tuskegee/timeline.htm
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/neurosyphilis/neurosyphilis.htm

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