Syphilis: Sexually Transmitted Disease

Syphilis is a rare sexually transmitted disease that causes serious health problems and complications if left untreated. This disease has stages and many symptoms. Both genders can contract it, but it can be cured and certainly prevented.

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Syphilis is a venereal disease that can be contacted and spread by means of sexual intercourse. An infected pregnant mother can also pass the disease to the unborn child during pregnancy. The disease is caused by a corkscrew-shaped bacterium called a spirochete, Treponema pallidum. The bacteria cause sores or ulcers to appear on the skin of the penis, vagina, and mouth. In some occasions, the sore can appear in the rectum, on the tongue, lips, or breast.

1. As each of you proceed in your careers, you will be faced with opportunities to read, evaluate and perform research. Read the USPHS Syphilis Study and pages 39-41 in Module 3. Describe what happened in the USPHS Syphilis study. What were the violations of human rights and ethics? What are your reactions to the events? Keeping in mind some of the information discussed on pages 39-41, what can you do to make sure vulnerable groups (uneducated, minors, disabled, etc.) are protected in research? If you discover a violation what can you do?

Tuskegee’s study of untreated syphilis is a notorious clinical study that was initiated in 1932 and ended in 1972. This study was initiated by the US Public Health Department and performed by the government physicians. The main purpose of this study was to assess the natural progression of the untreated syphilis. They included 399 men who had syphilis and 201 men who hadn’t have syphilis. Initially the study started to treat the syphilis, but even after there was no enough budget, they didn’t stop the study. The physicians had promised that the study participants were given free treatment of the syphilis but the fact was that the physicians and “US Public Health Department” were assessing the progression of the syphilis and not giving the treatment to the participants. Participants were unaware about this clinical research. In addition to this, participants were told about insurance, but they hadn’t been provided insurance.

Ethics are moral principles of doing what is right.  It should be a foremost concern when carrying out research and experiments.  There are past examples of where failure to adhere to ethical research has led to inhumane cases such as the Tuskegee syphilis experiment.

Herpes is usually spread by having any type of intercourse with somebody who is already infected with the virus usually through skin to skin contact. It is commonly spread by somebody who isn't aware that they have the virus. Many of the symptoms of the virus could be mistaken for something different that isn't as serious, therefore they

The rash of secondary syphilis can develop anywhere on the body, including on the palms and on the soles of the feet. Gray or white wart-like patches of skin called condylomata can appear on the moist areas around the mouth, anus, and vagina. These lesions are full of bacteria and very contagious. (http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/std/syphilis.html)

Gonorrhea is one of many highly contagious sexually transmitted infections caused by the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae, a gram-negative intracellular diplococcus. These infectious bacteria can spread through sexual contact and intercourse, as well as transmission during childbirth from mother to fetus. This specific bacterium likes to grow in warm, moist areas of the body. They can multiply very fast and infect the mucous membranes. Gonorrhea is said to infect an approximate 820,000 people in the United States annually. This genus is motile and can stick to surfaces and make it easy to contract. This bacterium contains Opa proteins. Opa proteins in this genus bind to receptors in the immune system. This action makes it possible to prevent an immune response. The infection, N. gonorrhea is not able to develop memory cells against its own kind, meaning it can alter the bodies response the next time around as it was never treated or infected. This later makes it possible to infect the same person.

Syphilis is a bacterial infection usually spread by sexual contact. Syphilis starts as a painless sore usually on your genitals, rectum or mouth. Syphilis spreads from person to person via skin or mucous membrane contact with these sores.

According to the online article, “Syphilis Symptoms, Causes, and Diagnosis,” found in the WebMD website, states that syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease that causes red sores in or around certain areas of the body. These blistering sores can be painless at the beginning, but as it progresses into a severe case they become a more painful infection. The article states that Treponema pallidum is the bacterium that is associated with syphilis. As syphilis is now a rare disease, the article explains how syphilis used to be one of the publics major health problems causing many long-term tragedies for people such as blindness, brain damage, and arthritis.

Syphilis is a horrendous infection which occurs in 4 phases, The first phase is minor; the individual will develop a chancre at the site of infection but it rarely painful and can therefore go unnoticed. The disease is most dangerous at this phase because the infected person is unaware of their conditions and will spread their unknown illness accidently. After the sore disappears phase two begins, which is a rash and white mucous sore that are shown in the mouth throat, rectum and genitalia. This is the most contagious stage. This stage is painful in the joints and bones and fatigue. Late-stage syphilis, will become apparent after the secondary symptoms has disappeared can come shortly after the secondary symptoms have disappeared.

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted bacterial infection that is caused by a bacteria called Treponema Pallidum, which by the way in adults it is split into stages, there is Primary, Secondary, and Latent. Syphilis is believed to be due to the fact that people do prostitution, the decreasing use of condoms, and unsafe sex between men or having sex with multiple partners. This disease is a common one, in the year 2014 there was about 20,000 syphilis cases reported, it was the highest rate since 1994. The rate increased mostly due to cases among men, bisexual, gay and men that have relationships with other men. It is a disease found in many countries, including Canada, Europe and the United States.

As an epidemiologist called in to conduct an investigation into the syphilis outbreak in my community, I first intend on following up on the routine interviews done by the public health nurse in the office. Foremost, I would visit each individual affected and a targeted line of questioning would be posed. Verifying person, place, and times as to exposure in paramount in understanding the cause of the presence of disease in the community (Goldsteen, Goldsteen, & Dwelle, 2015). Questions would include the number of sexual partners they have had in their lifetime and a names of their most recent partners, collecting addresses and phone numbers of the names collected. Syphilis is a bacterial sexually transmitted disease divided into four stages,

Syphilis is a bacterial STD caused by the Treponema pallidum bacteria. Syphilis is transmitted “through direct contact with a syphilis sore (“STD Facts-Syphilis” 2010).” The contagious sores can be chancre sores, which occur in the