Queer Cumbria

OutREACH Cumbria has been made aware of the rise in Cumbria of the number of positive diagnosis of Syphilis.

What causes syphilis?

Syphilis is caused by bacteria known as Treponema pallidum. This is easily passed on from one person to another through sexual contact.

Anyone who is sexually active can get it. Both men and women can have syphilis and pass it on.

How is syphilis passed on?

You can pass on syphilis without knowing you have the infection, this is because symptoms can be mild and go unnoticed.

Syphilis can be passed on from one person to another during sex by skin to skin contact with someone who has syphilis sores or a syphilis rash. It can also be passed on before symptoms are noticed or after they have disappeared.

You can spread the infection if you have vaginal or anal sex, or share sex toys. Using a condom will reduce your chance of getting or passing on syphilis.

You cannot get syphilis from kissing, hugging, sharing a bath or towels, swimming pools, toilet seats or from sharing cups, plates or cutlery.

Sexually Transmitted Infections can happen to anyone of us, if you are sexually active, single or in a relationship, you should consider your own health and that of your partner and others you have sex with. We all enjoy sex, but we don’t always enjoy the consequences of our sexual activities.....but we should.

J Regular ‘check – ups’  can alert us to any infections, provide treatment (where there is one) and advise us on how to look after our sexual healthJ

Symptoms

The signs and symptoms are the same for both men and women, they can be difficult to recognise so might go unnoticed.

Syphilis can develop three stages:

The first stage – Primary syphilis

The second stage – Secondary syphilis

The third stage – Tertiary syphilis

If you do get symptoms, you might notice some of the following:

First stage syphilis

·         One or more sores (chancre – pronounced ‘shanker’), usually painless, appears where the bacteria entered the body. This usually happens around 2-3 weeks after contact with syphilis, though they could appear sooner than 2 weeks or later than 3 weeks.

·         These sores can appear anywhere on the body. In women they are mainly found on the vulva (lips around the opening of the vagina), the clitoris, cervix (entrance to the womb), and around the opening of the urethra (tube where urine comes out) and the anus.

·         In men, they appear mainly around the opening of the urethra, on the penis and the foreskin also around the anus.

·         Less commonly in men and women, sores may appear in the mouth, on the lips, on the tonsils, or the fingers or buttocks.

·         The sores in the first stage of syphilis and are very infectious and may take 2-6 weeks to heal. In this time the bacteria will have spread to other parts of the body and will then be known as second stage syphilis.

Second stage syphilis

If untreated the second stage usually occurs some weeks later, after any sores have appeared and healed. Syphilis is still infectious at this stage, you can still pass the bacteria on to someone else.

·         A painless rash that is not normally itchy. The rash can spread all over the body, or appear in patches, but it is often seen on the palms of the hands or on the soles of the feet.

·         Flat, ‘warty’ looking growths on the vulva in women and around the anus in both men and women (these can be mistaken for genital warts).

·         A flu-like illness, tiredness and a loss of appetite, with swollen glands (this may last for two weeks or even months).

·         White patches on the tongue or roof of the mouth.

·         Patchy hair loss

Third stage or latent syphilis

When syphilis goes untreated it enters another phase known as third stage or latent, syphilis. Untreated syphilis may after many years, start to cause very serious damage to the heart, brain, eyes, other internal organs, bones and nervous system. At this stage syphilis can lead to death.

How do you know if you have the infection?

You can only be certain if you have a test. If you think you have been exposed to syphilis it is important that you don’t put off or delay getting yourself checked out and get tested. You should consider getting tested if:

·         You have recently had unprotected sex (including oral) with a new partner

·         You or your partner think you might have the symptoms

·         You, or your partner have had unprotected sex with other partners

·         A sexual partner tells you they have a sexually transmitted infection

·         You have another sexually transmitted infection

·         You are pregnant or planning a pregnancy

Don’t delay seeking professional advice – GUM Clinics do not mind giving you a sexual health check up!

Local (Cumbria) GUM contact details:

·         Cumberland Infirmary (Carlisle) 01228 814814

·         Sexual Health Clinic – Westmorland General Hospital (Kendal) 01539 716706

·         Workington Infirmary – 01900 68737