Syphilis
What is it?
Symptoms & Effects
Screening & Treatment
Protection
More...
What is it?
The only good news about syphilis is that it used to be more common than it is today. BUT, there are still folks infected with syphilis, so you shouldn't rule out the possibility that you could catch it.
Return to Top
Symptoms & Effects
You can get syphilis from having sex, and that includes oral or anal sex, too. The first symptoms of syphilis is a painless sore called a chancre ("shanker") that shows up where the bacteria entered the body – the penis or anus or mouth. In women, the sore can happen inside the vagina, so chances are she won't notice the symptom at this stage. A chancre looks like a small, red crater.
This sore disappears, but syphilis is still in your body. After two to five months, other signs may start to show up. These include skin rash, fever, tiredness, loss of appetite, and patches of hair that fall out. After a few weeks these signs disappear. That's the problem with syphilis – when the symptoms disappear, people may think they're "cured.” They aren't. Syphilis can continue to attack others parts of the body and can lead to permanent heart damage or brain damage – even death.
Return to Top
Screening & Treatment
You can get a blood test to find out if you have syphilis. If you think you've been with someone who has syphilis, definitely get a test!! Syphilis is caused by bacteria, so that means it can be cured by antibiotics.
Return to Top
Protection
You can protect yourself from syphilis the same way you protect yourself from other STDs:
More...
Symptoms & Effects
Screening & Treatment
Protection
More...
What is it?
The only good news about syphilis is that it used to be more common than it is today. BUT, there are still folks infected with syphilis, so you shouldn't rule out the possibility that you could catch it.
Return to Top
Symptoms & Effects
You can get syphilis from having sex, and that includes oral or anal sex, too. The first symptoms of syphilis is a painless sore called a chancre ("shanker") that shows up where the bacteria entered the body – the penis or anus or mouth. In women, the sore can happen inside the vagina, so chances are she won't notice the symptom at this stage. A chancre looks like a small, red crater.
This sore disappears, but syphilis is still in your body. After two to five months, other signs may start to show up. These include skin rash, fever, tiredness, loss of appetite, and patches of hair that fall out. After a few weeks these signs disappear. That's the problem with syphilis – when the symptoms disappear, people may think they're "cured.” They aren't. Syphilis can continue to attack others parts of the body and can lead to permanent heart damage or brain damage – even death.
Return to Top
Screening & Treatment
You can get a blood test to find out if you have syphilis. If you think you've been with someone who has syphilis, definitely get a test!! Syphilis is caused by bacteria, so that means it can be cured by antibiotics.
Return to Top
Protection
You can protect yourself from syphilis the same way you protect yourself from other STDs:
- Talk with your partner about this stuff before you have sex!
- If you notice any signs of infection, go do something else instead of sex; don't have sex until you're checked.
- Carry condoms with you and use them. See how to talk with your partner about using them.
- Limit the number of partners you have sex with. The more partners you have, the more likely you're' going to end up with a disease (or as a daddy!).
More...