Syphilis outbreak among Oklahoma teens

We don’t hear about the “old” STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) as much any more. Most of our focus is on HIV and HPV (human papillomavirus), which can lead to cervical cancer. But those older STDs are still out there. Just ask the 10 teens who were diagnosed over the past month in Oklahoma. All 10 are under 18 years old (Officials Confirm Teen Syphilis Outbreak).

Those kids were lucky. Why? Syphilis is curable. HIV isn’t. That doesn’t mean that syphilis is harmless – it’s not.

If the syphilis infection isn’t diagnosed in the early or middle stages, it may not be detectable and it can cause great harm. According to the Centers of Disease Control:

The latent (hidden) stage of syphilis begins when primary and secondary symptoms disappear. Without treatment, the infected person will continue to have syphilis even though there are no signs or symptoms; infection remains in the body. This latent stage can last for years.  The late stages of syphilis can develop in about 15% of people who have not been treated for syphilis, and can appear 10 – 20 years after infection was first acquired.  In the late stages of syphilis, the disease may subsequently damage the internal organs, including the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, blood vessels, liver, bones, and joints. Signs and symptoms of the late stage of syphilis include difficulty coordinating muscle movements, paralysis, numbness, gradual blindness, and dementia. This damage may be serious enough to cause death.

As well, a woman who has syphilis and who becomes pregnant is at high risk for having a stillborn child. If the child is born with the infection (undetected), the child may end up with severe health issues within weeks.

It’s hard to get this through to teens. They think that these things won’t happen to them. The sad thing is, they do.

~~~

Image: Stock.xchng