CHECK Berlin / Brandenburg #5

SEXUAL HEALTH
STAGE 1
EARLY SYPHILIS
STAGE 2
SECONDARY SYPHILIS
STAGE 3
TERTIARY SYPHILIS
Illustration: Алёна Игдеева_stock.adobe.com
the body for a short time. This means the
infection almost always occurs through direct
sexual contact. The bacteria penetrate the vaginal,
oral or anal mucous membranes through
micro-injuries. Occasionally, infection can also
occur through non-sterile needles or through
the skin in the event of contact with infected
fluid from ulcers of the contact person.
Over 80% of known infections currently occur
in homosexual men. As a result, syphilis, along
with other STIs, has developed into an often
undetected co-infection in HIV.
This can negatively affect the course of these
and other chronic diseases or diseases that
weaken the immune system. So if you want
to take an HIV test, you should also get tested
for other STIs at the same time. But of course,
even perfectly healthy, immune people can
get sick.
THE DISEASE PROGRESSES IN
THREE STAGES
The course of the disease is divided into three
stages, which differ greatly in terms of symptoms
and infectiousness.
After becoming infected, it can take up to four
weeks before the first - often harmless - symptoms
appear. During this time, however, the
disease can be transmitted to others, which
greatly increases the number of silent carriers
and harbors potentially severe risks for any
unprotected contacts.
1.
EARLY SYPHILIS
In the primary stage (early syphilis),
there is an external, local infection with small,
usually not very painful ulcers at the point
where the bacteria have invaded, i.e. usually in
the genital, anal or oral area. These symptoms
are often discovered late or not at all and dismissed
as a harmless “rash” or contact allergy.
This is a mistake.
The ulcers disappear after a while, even if left
untreated, which is why an infection is usually
only first recognized in the 2nd or 3rd stage.
Symptoms should not be hidden out of false
shame
About 8–14 days after the ulcers develop, the
nearest lymph nodes swell and pain in the
joints and muscles occurs. This is where most
people notice something is wrong. From this
stage onwards, the pathogen can be clearly
identified using a simple antibody test. So this
is when anyone who notices these symptoms
should absolutely take action.
There is no shame in getting infected and
symptoms should not be hidden out of shame.
CHECK BERLIN/BRANDENBURG #5
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