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Syphilis Research Paper

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Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection that has been affecting people for centuries. Syphilis, created by the bacterium Treponema pallidum, is spread through sores, which can appear on the genitals, lips, and in the mouth, when engaging in sexual intercourse and is highly contagious (CDC, 2014). Syphilis occurs in one of four stages and continues to progress onto the next stage if left untreated. In the primary stage, sores will begin to appear a few weeks after sexual contact. The sores are usually painless and left unnoticed without treatment, which causes the progression to the secondary stage. The secondary stage is accompanied with rashes on the body and possibly more sores. The rashes are typically not itchy and will go away by itself within time. If left without treatment, syphilis can enter the latent and late stages of the disease. Although symptoms in the late stage may not appear until decades after the latent stage, it includes paralysis, blindness, dementia and ultimately death due to damaged internal organs. Syphilis is a harmful and deadly disease, when left untreated, which continues to be a problem. …show more content…

Since it is highly contagious, many people have been in contact and affected by syphilis. In the United States, during 2013, there were 56,471 new cases of syphilis reported (CDC, 2014). Although the numbers have gone down throughout the years, the disease is still a problem that affects society. The disease will be difficult to avoid because whenever someone engages in sexual intercourse, there is a possibility that they will come in contact with syphilis. The disease also continues to spread due to males engaging in sexual intercourse with other males since they are more prone to the disease (CDC, 2014). There is currently not a way to completely eliminate the disease within

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