Beyond the Stigma: Understanding and Combating Syphilis

Presentation on Syphilis

1. Syphilis Please Enjoy

2. What is Syphilis? Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum . Syphilis can cause serious health problems without treatment. The infection develops in stages (primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary). Each stage can have different signs and symptoms.

3. Symptoms Primary Stage Sores called chancres may appear in,on, or around genitals or mouth. Secondary Stage Fever Swollen glands Sore throat Patchy hair loss Headaches Muscle aches Weight loss Fatigue Tertiary Stage Gummas Aortic aneurysms Endocarditis Meningitis Myocarditis Tabes dorsalis Neurosyphilis Severe headache Muscle weakness /paralysis Changes in mental status Ocular syphilis Eye pain or redness Floaters Sensitivity to light Changes in vision Otosyphilis Hearing loss Tinnitus Vertigo Latent syphilis No symptoms

4. Syphilis can be transmitted through unprotected sexual activity with a person with syphilis. Pregnant individuals with syphilis can transmit the infection to their unborn babies, leading to congenital syphilis. Ways it can be transmitted

5. Treatments for syphilis Doxycycline Tetracycline Ceftriaxone Benzathine penicillin Antibiotics are used to treat syphilis.

6. Social Effects Individuals diagnosed with syphilis, particularly in its early stages, encounter social stigma from family or the wider society due to its historical association with sexual behavior and promiscuity. This stigma can lead to feelings of shame, embarrassment, and fear of judgment, preventing individuals from seeking timely testing and treatment.

7. Fun facts Syphilis can go undetected for extremely long periods of time showing no signs or symptoms At one point mercury was used to treat syphilis but tended to failed.

8. The End

9. Website used for research Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, February 10). STD facts - syphilis . Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/std/syphilis/stdfact-syphilis.htm