Syphilis Infection example essay topic

During the tertiary syphilis patients may develop serious eye problems, brain and spinal cord damage, which sometimes can result into paralysis, insanity and blindness. There have been several cases of death following tertiary syphilis. Late syphilis can cause the lack of coordination and severe pain. These symptoms are caused by the spirochete destroying the posterior columns of the spinal cord. Treponema pallidum can cause inflammation of the heart muscle in the late stage. (Britannica Online) As we see, Treponema pallidum is a very dangerous bacterium.

There is also light late syphilis, which is very painful but not life threatening. An individual can develop ulcerated injuries of the skin, mucous membranes, liver, testes, and even the brain. Syphilis can cause very serious complications to baby, who is infected from mother. Baby can have severe complications, such as stillbirth, pneumonia, bleeding, and damage of skin, brain, and bones. The infant can have injuries discovered right after birth or can develop them during the adolescence, when the late stage symptoms usually begin. It is quite easy to discover syphilis.

A physician can examine material from a sore using dark field microscopy. If Treponema pallidum is present in the sore, it will show up with a characteristic appearance. Blood test is another way to find out if the person has syphilis or not. After the infection, the body produces syphilis antibodies that stay in the blood for several months or even a year. These antibodies can be easily detected by safe and inexpensive blood test. Every pregnant woman has a blood test for syphilis, for the reason that infection of a baby leads towards very serious complications.

If a person already has syphilis, which is discovered after the infection within a period of one year, it is possible to cure it with a single dose of penicillin one of the simplest antibiotics or by any other type of antibiotic. Penicillin kills treponema pallidum and prevents the development of next stages of syphilis, but it is unable to cure the damage that has been already caused by the disease. Individuals who are receiving medication from syphilis should withdraw from sexual contacts until the syphilis sores are completely cured. If a person already had syphilis, it is still possible to obtain this disease again. Antibodies that are produced by organism and stay in it for about one year and within this year their level is constantly decreasing. They will not protect an individual of being infected, but they can help to fight the disease together with a medication.

There are several ways to avoid syphilis infection. People who have one constant sexual partner and are both sure of not having syphilis cannot be infected. The main reason of infection is having sex with different partners without proper protection. In order to be protected from syphilis is quite enough to use a latex condom, which should be kept on the penis until the end of sexual intercourse. However, condoms cannot guarantee 100% protection, because syphilis sores can be found sometimes on the areas that are not protected with condom.

Nevertheless, there is a possibility of getting infection during oral sex, which is usually performed without condom. Some people think that washing genitals after sex will reduce the probability of getting syphilis, but this is not true. Washing is ineffective against prevention of the infection. One of the main duties of individual that has a suspicion of being infected with syphilis, after discovering unusual rashes and sores, especially in the groin area, is to go to a doctor and to stop having sex in order not to spread the disease.

Unfortunately, there is no vaccine, which would prevent syphilis infection and there is no opportunity to acquire immunity to syphilis. A person can be infected, can be treated, and then can be infected again and again. In conclusion, the most effective method to prevent syphilis is to have safer sex by using condom, which significantly decreases the risk of contracting different types of sexual infections. Another way to avoid syphilis is not having sex at all, which would not be a very good decision, therefore, it would be better at least to limit sex partners. Persons with the infection should ask their regular sex partners to have syphilis tests too. As we see, syphilis is a very dangerous disease, but there is number of methods of avoiding and curing it, therefore, it all depends on a person, whether he or she will be infected and properly treated on time or not.

Since we have knowledge about syphilis and if we will follow all the rules, we will be safe. Sources: Britannica Online. Syphilis and the Heart (March 5, 1996) web Jones, Colman. "Syphilis and AIDS: The Deadly Prospect.) (February 25, 1996) web Le Baron, Garn. Sexual Relations in Renaissance Europe. (March 5, 1996) web.