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Why the Return of “Curable” Diseases?Awake!—1993 | December 8
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Syphilis—A Deadly Comeback
Despite the effectiveness of penicillin, syphilis is still widespread in Africa. In the United States, it is making its strongest comeback in 40 years. According to The New York Times, syphilis is now “fooling a generation of doctors who have rarely, if ever, seen a case.” Why the resurgence?
Crack. Crack addiction has propelled what one doctor calls “marathon binges of cocaine use and sex.” While men often steal to support their addiction, women are more likely to trade sex for drugs. “In crack houses,” says Dr. Willard Cates, Jr., of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, “there is sex and multiple partners. Whatever infection happens to be prevalent in those environments is going to be the one that gets transmitted.”
Lack of protection. “Despite the ‘safe sex’ campaign,” reports Discover, “teenagers are still lackadaisical about using condoms to protect themselves from disease.” A study in the United States revealed that only 12.6 percent of those with risky sexual partners used condoms consistently.
Limited resources. States The New York Times: “Budget cuts have strapped the public clinics where most syphilis and other sexually transmitted diseases are diagnosed.” Furthermore, testing methods are not always accurate. In one hospital a number of mothers gave birth to infected babies, yet the mothers’ previous blood tests gave no evidence of syphilis.
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Why the Return of “Curable” Diseases?Awake!—1993 | December 8
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[Box/Picture on page 7]
The Ravages of Syphilis
SYPHILIS is caused by Treponema pallidum, a corkscrew-shaped spirochete, and is usually contracted through the sex organs. The spirochete then enters the bloodstream and spreads throughout the body.
Several weeks after infection, a sore called a chancre appears. It usually forms on the sex organs but may instead appear on the lips, tonsils, or fingers. The chancre eventually heals without leaving a scar. But the germs continue spreading through the body until secondary symptoms appear: skin rash, sore throat, aching joints, hair loss, lesions, and inflammation of the eyes.
If untreated, syphilis settles into a dormant phase that may last for a lifetime. If a woman becomes pregnant during this stage, her child may be born blind, deformed, or dead.
Decades later, some will move on to the later stage of syphilis, in which the spirochete may settle in the heart, brain, spinal cord, or other parts of the body. If the spirochete lodges in the brain, convulsions, general paralysis, and even insanity may result. Eventually, the disease may prove fatal.
[Credit Line]
Biophoto Associates/Science Source/Photo Researchers
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