NEW government figures this week showed that syphilis diagnoses in England had surged to their highest level since 1948.
And they jumped by 15 per cent between 2021 and 2022 to 8,692, according to UK Health Security Agency data.
Cases of syphilis in England have reached their highest level since 1950
It follows trends seen in the US, where the sometimes deadly disease recently reached levels that haven’t been recorded since the 1950s.
As the agency reminded people having sex with new or casual partners to come equipped with condoms and get regular check ups, it’s time many brushed up their syphilis spotting skills.
While symptoms of the Victorian sexually transmitted infection (STI) tend to be mild and hard to notice, left untreated syphilis can cause serious and potentially life-threatening problems.
Here are the eight signs of the deadly disease to know, including one that you can spot in your eyebrows.
You might spot small sores, also known as ulcers, on your penis, vagina, or around your bottom – these are usually painless and you may only have one of themSores can also pop up in other areas, including in your mouth or on your lips, hands or bottomThe STI can also cause white or grey warty growths most commonly on your penis, vagina or around your anusA rash can show up on the palms of your hands and soles of your feet but can sometimes spread all over your body – this is not usually itchy and tends to appear about six weeks after you first get sores but might not crop up for many monthsWhite patches can appear in your mouthYou can experience flu-like symptoms, such as a high temperature, headaches and tirednessSwollen glands are another issue This is less common but you might get patchy hair loss on your head, beard and eyebrows
It can take three weeks or more for these symptoms to appear after you’ve been infected. Sometimes they can even improve or go away completely, but if you have not been treated the infection is still in your body.
This means you can still pass it on and you’re at risk of getting serious problems later on.
What are the complications of syphilis?
If left to its own devices, syphilis can cause you some pretty nasty health problems, some of which can be life-threatening.
According to NHS guidance, these include:
heart problems like angina, aortic aneurysm and heart failurebrain problems like seizures, memory problems, personality changes and dementianerve problems like shooting pains, pins and needles, joint pain and gradual damage the jointsproblems with the skin, bones, testicles, liver and any other organ
Some of these might not crop up for years after you’ve caught the STI – but that’s no reason to not be proactive about getting tested and treating it.
What do I do if I have syphilis?
If you suspect you have syphilis – or any other STI – you go to a sexual health clinic or GP to get tested.
This isn’t only the case if you or your sexual partner start noticing some syphilis symptoms.
You should also get tested if:
a sexual partner has told you they have syphilis or another sexually transmitted infection (STI)you’ve recently had sex with a new partner and did not use a condomyou’re pregnant or planning to get pregnant and think you might have syphilisyou’ve injected drugs using a needle that’s been used by someone who might have syphilis
You can also use a self test kit at home and send it to a lab to get the results.
If you visit a clinic or GP, a doctor or nurse will check your penis, vagina and bottom for syphilis sores – they may use a swab to collect a fluid sample from any sores.
Next, they’ll check the rest of your body other signs of syphilis like a rash, sores or wart-like growths and may elect to take a blood sample.
If tests come back positive or the doctor strongly suspects you have the disease, you could be put on a round of antibiotics, which you may have as injections, tablets or capsules, according to NHS guidance.
You’ll need to go back to the GP surgery or sexual health clinic 6 and 12 weeks after starting treatment to be retested.
And don’t even think about getting freaky with your partner – this includes vaginal, anal and oral sex – until you’ve both finished treatment and tests confirm that it worked.
If you have syphilis, current and recent sexual partners will also need to be tested and treated.
There’s also the option to do this anonymously – your GP or sexual health clinic can advise you about how to contact them.