Syphilis

1. What is the causative agent of syphilis? How is it transmitted? What are the main stages of infection? The causative agent of syphilis is Treponema pallidum. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease. There are 4 stages of syphilis: Primary, Secondary, late and latent. In the primary stage one will develop a sore in the place where syphilis entered the body. Often times there is just one sore but multiple can develop. These sores are painless so can easily go undetected. These sores can last 3-6 weeks and will heal regardless of treatment. However it treatment is not undergone syphilis will proceed into the secondary stage. In the secondary stage skin rashes, sores in the mouth vagina and anus ay develop. Gray or white lesions that are large and raised can develop in areas that are moist, like the mouth or underarm area Again, without treatment this disease will go into the latent and late stages. In the latent stage syphilis is considered to be “hidden” and a person will not show signs or symptoms and can last for multiple years. As the disease continues to go untreated it progresses into late stage syphilis 10-30 years after infection and ultimately ends in paralysis, damage to the internal organs and death. (CDC, 2012).

2. What was the Tuskegee study? How did it originate? The Tuskegee study, which took place in 1932 was a study conducted by the public health service in conjunction with the Tuskegee Institute that recorded the “natural history of syphilis” that aimed to “justify treatment programs for blacks.” This unfortunate study began with 600 black men, 399 of which had syphilis and 201 that did not. The patients did not have informed consent. The patients were told they were being treated for “bad blood” but the truth was that they did not receive any form of treatment need to cure the disease. The patients did however receive free medical exams, free meals, and burial insurance. The study was only supposed to last for 6 months, but

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