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24
The
PLAIN TRUTH
lbout
Srphilis
S
YPHILIS
is caused by a spiral
shaped organism cal!ed a spiro–
chete (spy-ro-keet) .
It
is the most
deadly of venereal diseases.
Often there are no inJmediate
signs of
primat')' syphilis.
The first
noticeable sigo is usually a sore
called a chancee (pronounced shan–
ker) , which takes from 10 to
90
days
to develop after contad with an in–
fected person. lt usually appears as a
painless, itchless blister or sore on
the area the spirochete first entered.
( If a new victim received say 1,000
syphilis germs from an initial con–
tad, in three weeks or when the first
symptoms are likely to appear, the
victim is already carrying live billion
oc
more germs. Yet he may still look
and feel healthy.)
Frequently, a primary chancee is
hidden within the body and goes un–
noticed.
These symptoms wili go
away, even
if
rmtreated, deceiving
many.
The disease then spreads to
all parts of the body.
The
secondat·y stage
may also go
tmnoticed. Symptoms that do appear
may start six weeks to six months
after the chancee (all these figures
may have wider variation). Lasting
from a few days to severa! months,
they usually appear as painless rashes
or sores on any part of the body -
sores in the mouth, sore throat, fall–
ing hair in patches, fever or head–
aches. These symptoms are often
ignored because they . are like many
other health problems. Again, these
symptoms will go away without
treatment. But the disease ts not
cured. (A blood test can often, but
not always, conlirm an infedion .
That is why a blood test is required
in most states before a marriage can
be performed and is one reason
blood tests are given to pregnant
women.)
Transmission
by
Kissing,
Petting
Serious damage usually has not yet
occurred. These two stages, lasting
about two years but up to four or
more, are highly infectious. During
this time syphilis can be passed to
others through sexual or close inti–
mate personal contact. (Dentists
have contraded the disease from a
syphilitic lesion in a pat ient's mouth
when they had a nick on their fin–
gers. Intimate
kissing
can also meet
the conditions for transmission, espe–
cially if tbere are cuts or abrasions in
the mouth. Cases resulting from
petting
are also recorded. Abrasive
oc
rough skin contad with a syphi–
litic lesion is also dangerous.)
Untreated, the disease may go into
a non-infectious early latent period.
It
sometimes reverts to ao infectious
second stage, but usually it proceeds
into a
late /atent stage
( considered
non-infectious sexually, but ín–
fectious congenitally in women).
Here it may lay from five to forty
years or more without notice, only to
fioally attack vital organs as
late
syphilis,
producing heart problems,
blindness, crippl ing, paralysis, insan–
íty or death.
Many "Luck Out"
One half to two thirds of all cases
of syphilis at aoy time are in the dor–
mant state. For sorne reason oot fully
understood, about 80 perceot of the
rmtreated
victims of syphílis "luck
out." They do not suffer the ravages
of late syphilis. Sorne authorities feel
sufficient immuoity may be devel–
oped, or the spirochete and the body
tissues may attain a state of equili–
briwn - a sort of shaky truce. Sorne
doctors think reactivatíon occurs
when body resistance has been low–
ered, such as from fighting another
disease.
The remaining 20 percent or so of
the untreated victims will suffer
destrudive lesions: cardiovascular
complications (syphilitic heart dis·
ease or rupture of an artery), disease
of the central nervous system (brain
or spinal cord), benign
gummas
(a
growth of rubbery consistency) or
twnors on skin or bones, eye
problems or other crippling or kill–
ing late lesions.
Nearly $50 million is spent annu–
ally to care for the syphilitic insane.
Many miilions more are spent for the
syphilitic blind.
In congenital syphilís, an infant
may show lesions at birth or may
appear normal at birth, then develop
lesions in a few months. The indi–
vidual may appear normal into
adolescence
when, undetected, de–
formity, blindness, insanity, or early
syphilis symptoms may strike. One
half or more of all infants boro alive
to syphilitic mothers will have con–
genital syphilis in some form.
January
1972
clients. Victims, as well, often refuse to
name, or forget the names, of their con–
tads. Dodors themselves too often mis–
diagnose the correct stage of the disease
and fail to properly treat the vidim.
Moral Climate Encourages
Disease
But much more important today, as
throughout history, the VD epidemic is
dosely tied to certaín moral and sexual
attitudes.
Today's relaxed moral climate is
encouraging more school children with
no knowledge of the disease to care–
lessly índulge m promiscuous sexual
activities. And no wooder. Parents are
often as igoorant about VD as their
children. Mere childreo are ínfected in
surprising numbers, such as one five–
year-old boy by a nine-year-old girl.
But the bíg questions remain. Can the
scourge of VD be stopped in our gener–
ation? Can the concerned individual
protect himself? Only if the root cause
of the problem is squarely faced and
aded upon.
On a national basis, the preseot ap–
proach to VD control insures a bleak
future. VD is bound to get worse before
it gets better.
The VD crisis has been tackled
largely by treating infected individuals,
encouraging them through informative
publications to recognize symptoms.
But early visible symptoms of VD are
often not present or paid any special at–
tention. The disease, therefore, contin–
ues to be spread unknowingly.
While treatment ts undoubtedly
needed by millions, VD nevertheless
is
always out-racing treatment. Health
authorities poiot out that no commu–
nicable disease has been treated out of
existence. They know that "ao ounce of
prevention is
worth a pound of cure."
But prevention obviously means that
promiscuous sex acts must be curtailed.
Today's Wrong Sex Attitudes
VD education is recognlzed as a des–
perate need in the home, the school and
the church. But this does not mean
solely "information" about its terrible
effects. Effective education must face the
whole isme
and get to the crux of the
problem. The educational program
cannot be based merely on a medica! or
symptomatical point of view. Thís only