What is Syphilis and How It Affects Pregnant Women?

Syphilis is a bacterial Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD), caused by the bacteria named as Treponema pallidum. It is highly contagious and spreads through sexual activities like vaginal, anal and oral sex. However, in the rarest of rare cases, this disease gets transmitted to other people through prolonged kissing or close body contact. But, this STD highly affects the fetus of an infected mother. Henceforth, one must be very careful and take the necessary precautions against Syphilis, especially during Pregnancy. 

SYMPTOMS OF SYPHILIS:

Like any other STD Syphilis also do not cause any symptoms or signs at an early stage. However, Syphilis occurs in three distinct stages. The three stages have different symptoms, each of which is described below.

1.    Early or Primary Syphilis:

People suffering from Primary or Early Syphilis have the following symptoms:

•    Develops one or more red sores

•    The sores are small painless ulcers  

•    The sores develop in the genital part and mouth around 10-90 days after exposure

2.    Secondary Stage:

Following are the symptoms and signs of Syphilis in its Secondary stage:

•    Begins around 6 weeks to 6 months after exposure

•    Experience a pinkish “copper penny” shaped rash usually on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet

•    Rashes with a different appearance may develop on other parts of the body

•    Presence of moist warts in the groin

•    White patches inside the mouth

•    Swollen lymph glands, fever, and weight loss are subsidiary symptoms of Syphilis

3.    Latent Syphilis:

People, who are existent in the stage of Latent Syphilis, do not possess any particular symptoms. In this stage, the disease lies dormant.

4.    Tertiary Syphilis:

Following are the complications of Tertiary Syphilis:

•    Severe problems with the heart, brain, and nerves

•    Can cause paralysis, blindness, dementia, etc.

How Syphilis affects Pregnant Women?

Syphilis can be transmitted to the babies whose mothers are infected during pregnancy. The disease as named as Congenital Syphilis can be spread to the fetus through the mother’s womb. Syphilis can cause the following problems to the newborns:

•    Having syphilis can increase the potential risk of causing Miscarriage. Miscarriage means when a baby dies within the womb itself before 20 weeks of the pregnancy. 

•    Problems affecting the placenta and umbilical cord present in our womb. During pregnancy, the placenta grows in the uterus (womb) and supplies food and oxygen to the baby through the umbilical cord. Congenital syphilis may affect the placenta to grow outsized and the umbilical cord to get swollen, which can pose life-threatening problems to the fetus.

•    Syphilis may cause stillbirth. Stillbirth refers to the death of a baby while still being inside the womb.

•    The disease can induce Foetal Growth Restriction in the newborn. This is referred to as a condition after birth when the weight of the baby is much lower than normal.

•    Syphilis gets transmitted to the infants during childbirth also. It can cause fatal infections to your child. Newborns are often born prematurely. Untreated children, who survive, develop problems in multiple organs like brain, heart, eyes, bones etc.

Thus, to prevent your child from getting the above said fatal infections, immediate treatment of Syphilis is of utmost importance.

DIAGNOSIS OF SYPHILIS:

To diagnose Syphilis a simple blood test named Syphilis Rapid Plasma Reagin Test (RPR) is performed. The blood test determines the presence of the antibodies that fight the infection. However, at times, you may result in a false positive reading if you had been treated for Syphilis before. In such a case, another test will be followed by the previous one to confirm the results.  

TREATMENT OF SYPHILIS:

The best and most effective medicine to treat Syphilis is Penicillin. If you have contracted Syphilis for less than a year, then a single dose of Penicillin is perfect. For people having an allergy to Penicillin, other antibiotics would be prescribed. However, if you are in the later stages of Syphilis infection, then a higher amount of doses would be recommended by the doctors.  

People who are undergoing the treatment for Syphilis must refrain from sexual activities unless the infection is eradicated completely. In fact, the sexual partners must also be tested for Syphilis infection and get treated, if found to be Syphilis infected.

Syphilis is a curable STD if diagnosed early and treated rapidly. Nevertheless, if treated too late, the infection can cause permanent damage to the heart and brain of the patient as well as the baby, in case the patient is pregnant. 

 In a case, if you have any symptoms from given above, You want to test nearby, visit the local Rapid STD Testing center.

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Different Types of STD Testing and Accuracy of A STD Test

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) are life-threatening infections that occur in people due to unprotected sexual activities, and sometimes through nonsexual contacts. 

Most STDs do not cause any symptom. This makes it difficult to diagnose the patient at an early stage leading to fatal outcomes. So self-awareness is the only means for early STD diagnosis.

Different Types of STD Tests:

There are various types of STD tests which may be used by the doctors to diagnose STDs. There are several individual tests for diagnosing different types of STDs. However, Rapid STD Tests have been formulated to save people’s time, effort and stress while diagnosing STD. Few tests are performed in the doctor’s clinic while some can be carried out in the comfort and privacy of your home. A short description of Rapid STD Test is given below:

Rapid STD Test:

Unlike other tests, Rapid STD Tests saves time. It allows you to get the result in a short time. If you are STD positive, you have an opportunity to get immediate medical treatment. This test is highly beneficial for early diagnosis of diseases like HIV, as it may lower the risk of illness and enhance the lifespan of the patient. 

Besides other tests which require needles and blood, Rapid STD Test may require either the swab of body fluid or a urine sample.

The accuracy of Rapid Tests:  

All Rapid STD Tests are not created equally. Some show higher sensitivity and specificity than others. Now, what do sensitivity and specificity stands for? The ability of a test to correctly identify and diagnose those with the disease (a true positive rate) is known as sensitivity, whereas the specificity is the capability to precisely detect those without the disease (a true negative rate).

While testing for acute infection, the average sensitivity and specificity offered by rapid STD test are summarised as follows:

•    Gonorrhea: This test gives 86% sensitivity and 97% specificity.

•    Syphilis: It provides with a sensitivity of 85% and a specificity of 91%.

•    Chlamydia: It is 86% sensitive and 97% specific.

•    Hepatitis B: The result of this test is 97% sensitive and 99% specific.

•    Herpes simplex: It gives 93% sensitivity and 99.9% specificity.

•    HIV (in-office, finger prick): The test provides with a sensitivity of 99% and a specificity of 99.9%.

•    HIV (at-home, oral swab): The sensitivity of this test is 92%, and the specificity is 99%.  

Besides Rapid STD tests, some of the individual tests are listed below:

1.    Chlamydia: 

A special type of urine test named as the Chlamydia Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAA) is used to detect Chlamydia. This test is highly recommended by the CDC due to its capability to be very accurate. This process doesn’t involve swabbing. 

2.    Gonorrhea: 

Mostly, urine samples are examined to identify Gonorrhea. However, if you had oral or anal sex, swabs can be collected as samples from throat or rectum. In some cases, swabs may be obtained from a man’s urethra or woman’s cervix.  

3.    Hepatitis C: 

It needs a simple blood test to check whether you have got this STD. This test requires no fasting and no preparation needs to be taken at the time of the test.

4.    Hepatitis B:

The blood test is all that is required to test and identify Hepatitis B. Fast is not mandatory for this test.

5.    Herpes:

Herpes is a viral Sexually Transmitted Infection. Depending on the type of viruses attacking a person, Herpes can be classified into two types. The difference between the two types of Herpes lies in the type of infection.

To identify Herpes 1 (caused by Herpes Simplex Virus or HSV1) as well as Herpes 2 (caused by Herpes Simplex Virus or HSV2), a particular type of blood test needs to be done. The blood samples are examined for traces of antibodies for the virus.

6.    HIV:

To test HIV Antibody a simple blood test is needed. It will not cause any painful swabbing or needless undressing in this test. 

HIV is not curable, but it can be treated as well. There exists a class of drugs (anti-retroviral medications) which help tremendously by extending the quality of life of the victims and slowing the growth of HIV’s in the body.

7.    Syphilis:

Syphilis Rapid Plasma Reagin Test (RPR) is a simple blood test which looks for the antibodies that fight the infection. At times, you may result in a false positive reading if you were treated for syphilis before. In such a case, another test will be followed by the previous one to confirm the results.  

There are many authorized private clinics for STD Testing Syracuse New York or other states. RapidSTDTesting, also have the network of local clinics center in the USA- provides secure, confidentially report of the STD screening test.

Why STD is More Harmful to Pregnant Woman?

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD), also known as Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) are infections or diseases which usually spread through sexual activity, especially vaginal intercourse, anal sex, and oral sex. However, some STDs can be spread by non-sexual contact with donor blood, tissue, breastfeeding or even childbirth.

STDs include the following diseases:
•    Herpes
•    HIV/ AIDS
•    Genital Warts
•    Hepatitis B
•    Chlamydia
•    Syphilis
•    Gonorrhea
•    Trichomoniasis
STDs are life-threatening diseases that require immediate treatment. Many STDs do not cause prominent symptoms. As a result, the patient remains undiagnosed and untreated, which enhances the risk of passing the disease to other healthy people. However, proper treatment can cure and prevent STD.

Can a Pregnant Woman get STD?    

Yes, a pregnant woman can get STD. Basically; pregnant women are equally likely to get infected with STD as women who are not pregnant. Pregnancy doesn’t offer any extra protection to the mother and fetus against STDs. It is challenging to detect STDs as most of them are silent or causes no symptom.

How would STD affect Pregnancy?

STDs can pose life threats to you and the fetus developing in your womb. The danger posed by STDs depends on the type of infection present. Following is given a brief description of the different infections of STD and their harmful effects on a pregnant woman.

1.    HIV/ AIDS:
Due to advancement in medical science and technology, transmission of HIV to your fetus can be significantly diminished. However, if the disease gets passed on to your baby, the result would be cataclysmic and the baby may develop HIV infection. Generally, HIV infection cannot be cured.

2.    HERPES:
Genital herpes is highly contagious and can infect the baby during the process of vaginal birth. It can cause various skin diseases to the child. Hence, a pregnant woman with genital herpes is preferred to undergo a cesarean section.

3.    GONORRHEA:
A pregnant woman with Gonorrhea has a high risk of miscarriage and preterm delivery.  During pregnancy, if contracted the infection can cause vaginal discharge and burning sensation while emptying the bladder or abdominal pain. If the mother has active disease, the newborn may develop blindness, joint infection or blood infection.

4.    GENITAL WARTS (HPV):
Genital warts seem as small cauliflower-like clusters which may burn or itch. If contracted during pregnancy, treatment may get delayed until after delivery. At times, hormones from pregnancy make them grow large, which can block the birth canal. In such a case, the cesarean section is preferred.

5.    CHLAMYDIA:
Chlamydia infections increase the risk of miscarriage and preterm delivery. The babies who are exposed can get severe eye infections and pneumonia. The mother should be re-examined within three months to confirm complete eradication of the infection, even if your partner is treated. 

6.    SYPHILIS:
Syphilis gets passed on to the infants very easily. It can cause fatal infections to your child. Newborns are often premature. Untreated children who survive, develop problems in multiple organs like brain, heart, eyes, bones etc.

7.    HEPATITIS B:
Hepatitis B virus is responsible for this liver infection. Infected mother transmits the infection to her fetus through placenta mostly. An infected baby can become a lifelong carrier of Hepatitis B leading to liver disease and even death.

8.    TRICHOMONIASIS:
Trichomoniasis causes yellow-green vaginal discharge and pain during sex and emptying the bladder. The infection increases the risk of having a preterm baby. Rarely the baby gets the infection during delivery and has a vaginal discharge after birth.

Can a Pregnant Woman get treated for an STD?

It differs what STD one is suffering from. STDs like chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, trichomoniasis, and BV can be cured with the help of antibiotics that are safe to consume during pregnancy. Viral STDs such as Genital Herpes, Hepatitis B, or HIV cannot be cured. Conversely, there are certain cases where these infections can be treated with antiviral medications or some other preventive measures to diminish the possibility of transmitting the infection to the baby.

If you turn out to be STD positive during pregnancy, then immediate treatment should be started so as to protect you and your baby. Also, your sex partner should be examined and treated.

STDs are serious infections that require treatment, regardless of being pregnant or not. But if you are pregnant, you are not the only one at risk; it is fatal for your fetus too. So, STDs can be the reason for ending up new generations and disrupting the ecological balance. Self-awareness and prompt medical assistance is the utmost important step to fight against STDs. For Medical assistance, You can visit your nearest Local Rapid STD Testing Service centers