That’s a LOT of Venereal Disease
Living in the city, you learn so much about stuff you’d rather not know about, but need to.
For example, my zip code has some of the highest rates of syphilis, and THE highest rate of chlamydia in the whole city (warning, pdf). 55 cases of syphilis. 1,434 cases of chlamydia. between the two, southwest Philadelphia has nearly 2000 cases of VD walking around the 19143 zip code.
Untreated syphilis can lead to organ damage, including brain damage, and in some cases death. In addition, syphilis infection makes HIV easier to catch or to give to sex partners. New data show that for people who have HIV, syphilis can dramatically increase their viral load and cause a drop in CD4 counts. This increase resolves with syphilis treatment.
And there are SO MANY WAYS to enjoy this disgusting disease:
* Primary Syphilis
Symptoms usually show up 2-12 weeks after being exposed. The first sign is often a skin sore called a chancre (shank-er). You may have more than one, or you may have chancres and not notice them because they are inside your anus or vagina. Chancres can also appear on your scrotum, penis, vaginal lips, anus or in your mouth. They are usually not painful. The sores will go away after several weeks without treatment, but you would still be infected.
Chancres like this:
courtesy of stdphilly.org
* Secondary Syphilis
Most people who have secondary syphilis notice a skin rash covering their body 4 to 12 weeks after infection. The identifying feature of this rash is that it shows up on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. Often it is not itchy. Other common symptoms of secondary syphilis are swollen glands in various areas of the body, fever, fatigue, patchy hair loss, weight loss, and headache. Since these symptoms are so similar to those of many other health problems, syphilis has sometimes been called “the great imitator.”
* Additional symptoms during secondary syphilis that are particularly important are syphilis warts and white patches (condylomata lata and mucous patches, respectively). These warts and patches are highly infectious and can occur in moist areas of the body like the mouth, side of the tongue, anus, etc.
Sores like this:
source: stdphilly.org
* Secondary syphilis symptoms usually last anywhere from 1 to 3 months, but sometimes they last longer, and once in awhile the symptoms come and go over a year or two. But even after the symptoms of secondary syphilis clear up, if left untreated, the infection continues in your body.
* Latent Syphilis
Latent syphilis causes no symptoms. The infection can be detected only by a blood test. If not treated, latent syphilis continues for life. Many people with latent syphilis never have serious problems, but some progress to the final stage, called tertiary syphilis.
* Tertiary (late) Syphilis
About one-third of untreated people with syphilis experience serious damage to various organs and body systems. Tertiary syphilis can appear any time from a year to 50 years after becoming infected; most cases occur within 20 years. The brain, heart, liver, and bones are the most commonly involved organs. Tertiary syphilis can cause paralysis, mental problems, blindness, deafness, heart failure, and death.
Tertiary syphilis looks like this:
Sounds delightful, doesn’t it?
The bad news is that syphilis disproportionately affects blacks and men who have sex with men, and that symptoms can fade over time even as the infection perisists. I can’t speak to the number of gay men in 19143, but the majority of people living here are black. The good news is that syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea are easy to treat (although in the case of chlamydia, a bit painful, what with the q-tip shoved and swirled down your dickhole), and easier to prevent: wear a condom, don’t have unprotected sex with strangers, and get tested. It’s not a mark of shame to get tested: it’s tribute to your self-respect and self-preservation.
This last part is the easiest to do: The Philadelphia Department of Health/STD Control Program’s syphilis awareness and testing campaign in 19143 officially starts next week. Testing, as well as treatment for the infected, is free. Free condoms too!
So if you’ve been dipping your bucket in someone else’s well, do us all a favor and get tested.
Spread the word, not the disease: get tested.
Testing will be available at Neighbors United Against Drugs, 5218 Woodland Ave between 12 – 4pm on Mondays and Wednesdays, and between 10am – 2pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the dates of July 26 – August 20th. For the same dates, testing will also be available on a Mobile Medical Unit in the neighborhood on Tuesday – Thursday evenings, 6 – 9pm. Tuesdays the unit will be at 58th and Chester, on Wednesdays 51st and Chester and Thursdays 54th and Chester.
Questions can go to Tahira Greene at 215-685-6585.
July 23rd, 2010 at 10:06 am
thanks buddy, my lunch will be soooooo much better now!