An Overview Of The Bacterial STD - Syphilis

Approximately 6% of the adult population in India is reported to be infected with STDs every year!¹ According to WHO, there are around 374 million new infections with any of the 4 STDs - chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, and trichomoniasis.² These are completely curable if diagnosed and treated in a prompt manner.² In this blog, we will dive deeper into the symptoms, health risks, and preventative measures of one of the above-mentioned common bacterial STDs - syphilis. Let’s get started!

What Is Syphilis?

In simple terms, Syphilis is a disease that is transmitted sexually. It is often caused by the bacteria -Treponema pallidum.³ The infection spreads from one person to another through direct contact with a syphilitic sore (known as a chancre) via oral, vaginal or anal sex. This bacterial STD leads to chancres (a painless ulcer) in and around the genital area (penis, vagina, anus or rectum), lips, and mouth, and affects both men and women.³ A pregnant woman is also at risk of passing on the bacterial infection to her unborn child.³

Who Is At Risk?

All sexually active individuals are at risk of developing bacterial STDs like syphilis.⁴ However, the following people are known to be more susceptible to this infection:⁴

1. Men who have sex with men (MSM)
2. Pregnant women
3. Sexually active HIV patients
4. Have a partner who has recently been diagnosed with syphilis
5. People who take PReP to prevent HIV 

If you fall under any of these subcategories, you should consider getting tested for syphilis to avoid long-term complications. LifeCell offers STD Test - Male and STD Test - Female that can help check your sexual health with a self-collection test kit from the comfort of your home. These comprehensive tests check for 7 STDs in men and 8 STDs in women respectively and provide detailed results within 3 days once the sample reaches the lab.

Symptoms Of Syphilis

On average, it takes around 21 days for the first symptoms to appear once infected with this bacteria.⁵ The symptoms of syphilis progress with time and are classified into different stages.

Primary Stage

The bacterial STD causes open sores (chancres) at the location where syphilis infection entered the body - the mouth, genital or anal region.⁶ However, the sores do not cause any pain which makes them difficult to locate in the vaginal or anal region. These symptoms can last for 3 to 6 weeks with or without treatment.⁶ However, it is important to get an STD test in case you notice any of these signs. This can help you seek a doctor’s advice and the right medication to stop the infection from progressing to severe stages.

Secondary Stage

As the infection spreads in your body, you may experience symptoms like skin rash, mild fever, fatigue, sore throat, and patchy hair loss.³ The skin rash has a rough, red or reddish-brown appearance. If left untreated, syphilis will persist in the body and progress to the latent and potentially late stages of the infection.³

Latent (inactive) Stage

The syphilis infection enters the latent stage when the symptoms from the first and second stages have subsided. This stage can last for several years and the infection remains present in the body without any symptoms or signs.³

The latent stage does not allow for transmission to others. However, during the first year, some people may experience a resurgence of symptoms from the second stage, such as a rash or sore, that can infect others.⁶ If left untreated, the infection will eventually progress to the late stage.

Tertiary Stage

In the final stage, the bacterial STD can cause harm to various organs such as the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, blood vessels, liver, bones, and joints.³ This damage can result in various health issues, including nerve damage, paralysis, blindness, deafness, dementia, and in severe cases, death.⁵ However, it is rare to reach the late stage of syphilis and only occurs if treatment is not received during the earlier stages.

Parting Thoughts

In conclusion, syphilis is a serious sexually transmitted infection that can cause long-term health problems if left untreated. It is important for people to communicate with their partners, practice safe sex and get tested regularly to ensure early detection and treatment. Also, pregnant women stand a chance of passing these bacterial infections to their babies.³ Therefore, it is advisable for them to get tested for syphilis during pregnancy.

Fortunately, syphilis is treatable and completely curable with antibiotics.² Even so, awareness and education about the symptoms and risk factors are crucial in preventing the spread of this bacterial STD.

Are you ready to take charge of your sexual health?

If you are nodding a yes, then don’t forget to practise safe sex, keep up with the changes in your body and schedule an STD test regularly!