SYPHILIS
Syphilis is caused by a bacterial infection. The initial infection soon develops into an open sore called a chancre. This isn’t always noticed, since women can develop chancres on the inside of their bodies, and the chancres themselves aren’t necessarily painful or irritating. After about two to six weeks, the chancre disappears as the bacteria become dormant. If untreated, the disease re-emerges as a skin rash—brown sores covering all or most of the body, as well as possible fever, swollen glands and hair loss. If you haven’t had the sense to visit a doctor by this point, then you are really in for a good time. The bacteria cause small tumours to form on the inside of the body. The tumours slowly destroy the surrounding tissue, causing nerve damage, paralysis or insanity. Tumours have been known to form in the bones of the face, causing the nose to slowly decay and finally collapse.
As the tumours gradually destroy more and more tissue, paralysis and dementia become more severe until the patient finally dies.
Historically, syphilis has been treated with mercury (injected, swallowed or just rubbed on the skin) with side-effects like discoloured teeth, rashes and liver damage, but today it can usually be treated with a straightforward round of antibiotics.
GENITAL WARTS
Caused by a virus, genital warts can grow anywhere on the skin. But they prefer warm and moist conditions, so they usually occur on and around the mouth and genitals.
The infection is transmitted by close contact. The warts range in size and colour, and larger ones become lumpy like cauliflower. They can be sore and itchy. Some infections have no visible symptoms, but even without symptoms the virus can still be transmitted.
Treatment involves cutting the warts off, burning them with a laser or electricity, or freezing them with dry ice. But removing the warts doesn’t eliminate the infection, and new warts can continue to appear. Between one-half and three-quarters of sexually active adults acquire the virus in their lifetimes.
GONORRHEA
Gonorrhea is caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, a bacterium that grows in the warm, moist areas of the reproductive tract, including the cervix (opening to the womb), uterus (womb) and fallopian tubes (egg canals) in women, and in the urethra (urine canal) in women and men. Gonorrhea is spread through sexual contact, including penis-to- vagina, penis-to-mouth, penis-to-anus, mouth-to-vagina, and mouth-to-anus contact. A person can get an eye infection after touching infected genitals and then the eyes.
About 50% of men infected initially have some signs or symptoms, including a burning sensation when urinating, a yellowish-white discharge from the penis and painful or swollen testicles. Gonorrhea can lead to internal abscesses (pus pockets), long-lasting pelvic pain, and infertility in women. In men, it can lead to epididymitis (testicular inflammation), which can lead to infertility. If left untreated, it can affect the prostate and can lead to scarring inside the urethra, making urination difficult.
