The Facts
Syphilis is an infection by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. The disease has many clinical appearances which are often grouped into stages, depending on when they occur. There are five stages of syphilis but not everyone will go through all five stages. Syphilis first appears as an acute infectious disease that then appears to go away on its own. A short while later it may re-emerge and, again, appear to go away. It may also come back as a chronic, non-contagious medical condition.
This means there are two distinct groups of people with syphilis - those who are infectious but may recover spontaneously, and those who aren't infectious but won't get better without treatment. Blood tests for syphilis in either group of people will be positive.
Syphilis used to be a leading cause of death and disability. It is believed that it was introduced into Europe from the Americas by the early Spanish explorers. It spread throughout Europe and became a condition associated with sex, and since Venus was considered the Goddess of Love, it became known as venereal disease (VD). There was no treatment for syphilis until the availability of antibiotics in 1945 when penicillin was developed. This medical condition is much rarer today due to the widespread use of antibiotics.
There were 7,200 cases of infectious syphilis in the United States in 2003. Men make up almost 80% of the infectious syphilis cases. While the rate of infection for women is decreasing, the rate for men is increasing. Among women, the highest rate is for women between 20 and 24 years of age. For men, the highest rate is among men 35 to 39 years of age.