Syphilis in Women

Generality

Syphilis is an infectious disease that affects both men and women. The causative agent is the bacterium Treponema pallidum, which has a marked invasiveness for the human organism.

Women contract this infection mainly through sexual contact and, during pregnancy, can transmit the pathogen to the fetus (congenital syphilis).
After the infection, the bacterium responsible for syphilis is present in the blood and in all other body secretions, mainly at the level of the lesions it causes.
The onset of the first symptoms occurs after three to four weeks: these are ulcers or rounded wounds at the entry point of the pathogen (ie in the areas that have come into contact with the infected areas of the other person). In women, these lesions appear more frequently in the genital area, particularly in the labia minora, vaginal orifice and perineum. Furthermore, in the female sex, the infection can lead to various complications during pregnancy.
Without an adequate and timely diagnosis and therapy, a progressive evolution of the disease is possible, which can cause serious damage to multiple organs and systems, such as skin, heart and skeleton.In its final stage, syphilis damages the central nervous system causing mental confusion, dementia and progressive paralysis.
Fortunately, thanks to the availability of adequate diagnostic methods and the efficacy of antibiotic therapy, syphilis is a controllable and treatable infection.

Treponema pallidum

The causative agent of syphilis is a bacterium, the Treponema pallidum. When observed with a dark-field microscope, this microorganism appears as a small spiral-shaped filament, mobile and flexible, of variable length between 5 and 20 microns.
The Treponema pallidum it is able to pass through intact mucous membranes or damaged skin. The agent responsible for syphilis in women is therefore more easily transmitted through oral contact and unprotected vaginal and anal sexual intercourse.
The most frequent places of entry are, in fact, the mucous membranes of the genitals and mouth, where the Treponema pallidum it finds its ideal habitat to reproduce easily. Later, this microorganism migrates through the skin capillaries, and then spreads to the lymph nodes, where it multiplies until it reaches levels sufficient to cause clinical disease. Typically, syphilis incubation times extend from 2 to 12 weeks.
In people with the disease, the Treponema Pallidum it is found in all body fluids, such as semen and vaginal secretions. In addition, the bacterium is found in skin, genital and mucosal lesions, including that of the mouth, which occur during the course of the disease.