Syphilis
A Serious Disease, A Simple Cure

In 2008, there were 380 primary and secondary reported cases of syphilis in Harris County, with a case rate of 9.8.

In 2008, there were 141 primary and secondary reported cases of syphilis in Jefferson County, with a case rate of 55.6

What is syphilis?

Syphilis is caused by a germ you can get from any sexual contact with a penis, vagina, mouth, or anus of a person who has the disease. A pregnant woman can also pass syphilis to her unborn child. Many people do not know they have syphilis. Many people with syphilis look and feel perfectly healthy. Even if you don't have symptoms, you can still pass syphilis to other people. Too many people who have syphilis do not realize they have the disease until they have severe health problems.

What are the symptoms?

Syphilis usually begins as a sore, called a chancre ("shank-er"), where the germ has entered the body. This sore is usually on or near the genitals, but it can also occur around the mouth or anus. This sore does not hurt and it goes away without treatment within a few weeks, but the germ is still there and you still have syphilis. Later, there may be other symptoms, such as : rashes, especially on the palms of the hands and bottoms of the feet, hair loss, headaches, fever, and sore throat, aches in the bones, swollen joints. these symptoms will go also go away without treatment, but the germ is still there and you still have syphilis. if left untreated over a period of years, syphilis can cause: arthritis, blindness, heart diseases, mental illness and death.

A test is the only way to know for sure that you have been exposed. Syphilis can be treated. If you have syphilis, you have a much greater risk of becoming infected with HIV. Syphilis can cause death and other serious physical and mental conditions in babies whose mother's have syphilis.
Visit www.stompout.org, or call your local health department or testing site for more information.