Stop Syphilis
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services recently released that syphilis rates have increased in Michigan. Since 2019, syphilis rates have drastically increased for those aged 20-45 and in heterosexual individuals. In that same time, congenital syphilis cases have increased by more than 200%. Despite the drastic rise in cases of congenital syphilis, only 56% of pregnant individuals on Medicaid received proper prenatal screening in their third trimester, showing the importance of routine testing.
Syphilis is a preventable and treatable sexually transmitted infection (STI) that can cause serious health problems if left untreated. Syphilis is spread through vaginal, anal or oral sex. People can also pass syphilis to babies during pregnancy (congenital syphilis). Syphilis develops in stages (primary, secondary, latent and tertiary).
Signs and Symptoms
There are different signs and symptoms at each stage of syphilis. Many people do not notice any signs or symptoms.
- Primary stage: A person with primary syphilis generally has a sore or sores in the area where syphilis entered the body. These sores usually occur on or around the genitals, the anus or the rectum, or the mouth. These sores are usually (but not always) firm, round and painless.
- Secondary stage: Symptoms of secondary syphilis include skin rash, swollen lymph nodes and fever. The signs and symptoms of primary and secondary syphilis can be mild, and they might not be noticed.
- Latent stage: This stage is a period when there are no visible signs or symptoms of syphilis.
- Tertiary stage: Most people with untreated syphilis do not develop tertiary syphilis. Tertiary syphilis occurs 10-30 years after the syphilis infection began and is very serious. Tertiary syphilis damages internal organs and can result in death.
Without treatment, syphilis can spread during any stage to the brain and nervous system (neurosyphilis), the eye (ocular syphilis) or the ear (otosyphilis). Signs and symptoms can include:
- Neurosyphilis: Severe headache, muscle weakness, trouble with muscle movement, changes to a person's mental state, dementia.
- Ocular syphilis: Eye pain, eye redness, changes in vision or blindness.
- Otosyphilis: Hearing loss, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), dizziness or vertigo.
Any person aged 20 – 45 years of age should be receiving routine testing. Visit https://gettested.cdc.gov/ to find testing near you.
To learn more about syphilis o other sexually transmitted infections call the Michigan HIV/STI Hotline at 800-872-2437 or visit https://misexualhealthinfo.com/.