Syphilis in Black Americans: Causes and Treatment

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Introduction

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by a bacterium known as the spirochetal bacterium. This bacterium initially causes genital ulcers and can be treated using antibiotics. If not treated early it may cause serious infections such as blindness, heart damage, damage to the bones or nerve damage. This paper seeks to find the major causes, the signs and symptoms of syphilis and why it is prevalent among the black people living in America.

Causes of syphilis

It is mainly caused through sexual transmission although is can be passed on from mother to child. If a pregnant woman is affected with syphilis, the bacterium can affect the child in the uterus. The infections the baby will get depend on the stage of syphilis that the woman is at. Women who have been infected for along period of time are at high risks of giving birth to dead babies or babies who dies after a short time (Bruess & Greenberg, 2008).

Signs and symptoms

The signs and symptoms of syphilis manifest themselves at different stages of the disease. In most cases majority of the infected do not show any signs or symptoms for many years though they continue being at risk of complications, which may occur latter if not treated. In babies born with the disease, some may show symptoms and others may show no sign but if not treated the baby may develop serious problems.

Primary syphilis

Primary syphilis is normally gotten through direct sexual contact with an infected person. After 10-90 days (from the day of infection) sores or lesion begin to appear on the skin. This skin lesion is normally painless and causes firm ulcers at that point of initial exposure to the bacterium which can be the penis, vagina, and rectum (Bruess & Greenberg, 2008). After about 4 to 7 weeks, the lesion grows impulsively.

Secondary syphilis

On an approximate of one to six months after primary infection, the secondary infection appears. Initially symmetrical reddish-pink rashes which are not itchy appear on the trunk and farther points. Such rashes can appear on the palm of hands and soles of feet. It can also appear in places of the body which are moist for example the vulva or scrotum where the rash becomes even, large, whitish, wart-like lesion. In the mouth or the genitals mucous patches may appear (Winter, 2006). A person suffering from secondary syphilis may experience weight loss, fever, sole throat, headache, meningitis, arthritis, among other infections. Secondary syphilis is more contagious than primary syphilis.

Latent syphilis

This is a condition where by one has the disease but shows no signs or symptoms. In early latent syphilis one can have the disease for less than two years since the day of infection but experiences no signs or symptoms of the disease while as in late latent syphilis one can have the disease for more than two years since the day of infection with no any medical proof of the disease. In order to treat late latent syphilis one requires a continuous 3 weeks injection although it is not as contagious as early latent.

Diagnosis of syphilis

Syphilis can be diagnosed by an examination of some materials from an infected sore. This examination is done using a microscope known as a “dark-field microscope” bacterium will be seen through the microscope. Another popular method is by use of blood test. After one is infected by the bacterium, syphilis antibiotics are produced by the body which can be detected by a simple blood test (Winter, 2006).

Syphilis in United States

Although it is an ancient disease, it is still of major concern today especially in the United States. In the period 1990 to 2000 the number of infection declined by approximately 90% but rose again in the period 2000 to 2006 from 5,979 to 9,756. This increase was particularly high in year 2005 to 2006 where it rose by approximately 12%. The increase was associated with changes in the groups that were affected most. Primary and secondary syphilis in men increased by almost 54% during the period 2002 – 2006. The number of men infected increases by 11.8% in 2005 to 2006 especially among homosexuals while that of women increased by almost 11.4% during the same period (Anon, 2006).

In 2006 the health officials recorded 36,000 syphilis cases 9756 of that number being primary and secondary syphilis. Majority of the infected were persons between the age of 20 and 39 years. In women majority were from 20 to 24 years while in men majority were from 35 to 39 years of age. Cases of syphilis transmitted from mother to child during birth also increased in 2006 (Anon, 2006).

Black men were the most vulnerable to this disease. According to data collected in years 2003 and 2004 it revealed that there was a difference in the number of people infected by the disease between the blacks and the whites. The number of black men infected had increases drastically since 1993 to 2003 as compared to the whites. In 2000 to 2003 the incidence among the blacks had initially decreased but rose again in 2004. This was the only year since the year 1993 that there was an increase the difference between the white and black people of the incidences of primary and secondary syphilis infections. Among the black men, syphilis was common among the homosexuals.

Environmental factors

Some of the factors that contribute to the spread of syphilis are biological factors, public health, sexual behaviors, access to health care, and changes in population. Majority of men infected are low income earners both in the rural areas and urban settings. The number of sex partners that one has affects the spread of syphilis and also some sociophysical factors such as availability of treatment. The spread of syphilis among the black men was wider due to lack of proper diagnosis and treatment.

Treatment of syphilis

If detected during its initial stages, it’s easily treated than on its advanced stages. A person infected with syphilis can be treated using a single “intramuscular injection of penicillin” for a person who has been infected for more than one year it will require more doses to treat. Individuals who have been exposed sexually to a person who have been diagnosed with either primary, secondary or latent syphilis is assumed infected and should be treated.

Penicillin G has remained as the only effective therapy even for pregnant mothers. However non pregnant people with allergic reactions can be treated using oral tetracycline or doxycycline although they are not as effective as penicillin G. Another dose that has been used as an alternative is Azithromycin. Azithromycin has been found to be sensitive it has resistance is some areas thus not effective.

Majority of the black people infected with syphilis were not treated for many years. Most of them were not that they were infected which was a major cause of mental illness or even death. Medical officials in United States promised them free treatment for what was termed as “bad blood” but they were never treated for the disease even after the discovery of penicillin. This facilitated the spreading of the disease because even those who were infected were not given proper diagnosis and they continued spreading the disease. This contributed to the drastic increase of the disease especially in 2004 among the black men.

Prevention and control of syphilis

The prevention of syphilis and its control is conducted in health departments and the state. These departments receive grants and personnel assistance from the center for disease control and prevention (CDC). CDC is aimed at ensuring that health providers are equipped with the necessary skills that will help in prevention of the spread of STDs. CDC has started centers for training of health providers in almost 10 public health schools where they offer special training in STD prevention and control (Bruess & Greenberg, 2008).

Proper use of latex condom can be used as a form of prevention against syphilis. This may not be relied on completely because other parts that are non genital can also be affected and the condom will not prevent such areas from infections.

Social and cultural factors

In cases where syphilis is diagnosed and treated at its initial stages, its spread becomes limited. There are communities where STDs is publicly addressed and people are advised on how to go about them if they become infected. In other communities people die in silence because it’s seen as a taboo and hence people shun from talking about it. In the United States, the blacks were discriminated against and were not given any form of awareness concerning the disease that could have prevented them from spreading syphilis among themselves.

Conclusion

Syphilis is an STD caused by a bacterium. This bacterium is passed on during sexual intercourse or by a pregnant mother to the baby. The signs and symptoms of syphilis manifest themselves at different stages of the disease. In most cases majority of the infected do not show any signs or symptoms for many years though they remain at risk of developing complications which may occur latter if not treated. Primary syphilis is normally gotten through direct sexual contact with an infected person. After a period of about 10 to 90 days painless and firm sores begin to appear on the skin. If this is not treated, the infection proceeds to secondary stage. In secondary syphilis, initially symmetrical reddish-pink rashes which are not itchy appear on the trunk and extremities. Such rashes can appear on the palm of hands and soles of the feet. Latent syphilis is the stage whereby one lives with the disease but shows no signs or symptoms.

Syphilis is more common among the black people in the United States. Black men were the most vulnerable to this disease. According to data collected in years 2003 and 2004 it revealed that there was a disparity in the number of people infected by the disease between the blacks and the whites. The number of black men infected had increased drastically since 1993 to 2003 as compared to the white. Most of the black were discriminated against in terms of treatment. They were not properly diagnosed but were told that they were suffering from bad blood and received treatment for that.

Reference

Anon. (2006). Primary and Secondary Syphilis -United States, 2003—200. Web.

Bruess C., E., & Greenberg J., S., (2008). Sexuality Education: Theory and Practice. New York: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.

Winter, A. (2006). Syphilis The library of sexual health. The Rosen Publishing Group.

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