Syphilis is a complex sexually transmitted disease (STD). It is caused by a bacterium called Treponema pallidum. Syphilis has often been called "the great imitator" because so many of the signs and symptoms are indistinguishable from those of other diseases. There was a significant rise in the number of cases of syphilis from the year 2000 to 2001, the first increase since the year 1990. An additional concern is the fact that syphilis increases the risk of transmitting and acquiring HIV, the virus
             The syphilis bacterium is very fragile, and the infection is almost always transmitted by sexual contact with an infected person. Sores may occur mainly on the external genitals, vagina, anus, or in the rectum. Sores can also occur on the lips and in the mouth. Transmission of the organism occurs during vaginal, anal, and oral sex. It can also pass through broken skin on other parts of the body. In addition, pregnant women with syphilis can pass it on to her unborn baby, who may be born with serious mental and physical problems as a result of the infection.
             The initial infection causes an ulcer at the site of the infection. The bacteria, however, moves throughout the body, damaging many organs over time. Syphilis has been divided into four stages-primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary. An infected person who has not been treated may infect others during the first two stages, which usually last one to two years. In its late stages, untreated syphilis, although not contagious, can cause serious heart abnormalities, mental disorders, blindness, other
             The time between infection with syphilis and the start of the first symptom can range from ten to ninety days, with an average of twenty-one days. The first symptom of primary syphilis is the appearance of an ulcer called a chancre. The chancre is usually firm, round, small, and painless. It appears at the spot where syphilis entered the body. The chancre las...