Africa-Press – Malawi. Syphilis sores provide an easy entry point for HIV. HIV impairs the immune system in ways that make it easier for syphilis to take hold. Recent research suggests that there may be even more interactions between syphilis and HIV than were previously known. Some are directly related to infections.
Without treatment, syphilis can severely damage the heart, brain or other organs, and can be life-threatening. Syphilis can also be passed from mothers to unborn children. Syphilis can stay hidden in your body up to 20 years if not treated.
Some features of syphilis during this stage, such as fever, sore throat, malaise, and lymphadenopathy, can easily be mistaken for clinical manifestations of primary HIV infection, HIV immune reconstitution, adverse cutaneous reactions to drugs, viral exanthem, streptococcal pharyngitis, and mononucleosis-like illness.
This STD develops in four stages. Symptoms in the first two can be so mild that you might not notice them. One stage latent syphilis doesn’t have symptoms. Primary: Painless sores appear at the site of infection
Secondary: Rough red or reddish brown rash on palms of hands and soles of feet. These symptoms will go away, even if you don’t get treated. But if you’re not treated, your infection will get worse.
Latent: During this phase, the syphilis bacteria are still alive in your body, but you have no signs or symptoms of the infection. You’re not contagious during this stage, but syphilis may still affect your heart, brain, nerves, bones, and other parts of your body. This phase can last for years.
If untreated, an infected person will progress to the latent hidden stage of syphilis. After the secondary-stage rash goes away, the person will not have any symptoms for a time latent period. The latent period may be as brief as 1 year or range from 5 to 20 years.
Can syphilis be cured? Yes, syphilis can be cured with the right antibiotics from your health care provider. However, treatment might not undo any damage that the infection has already done
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