Key points for the diagnosis and treatment of genital warts and syphilis
> 4.3 // How do I know if I have genital warts?**
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The appearance of cauliflower-like lumps on the glans penis, coronal sulcus, and other areas is a typical manifestation of genital warts. It usually develops about 3 months after unprotected sex, meaning the incubation period for the disease is 3 months. However, not all cauliflower-like lumps are genital warts. Doctors need to perform a test called the acetic acid test to confirm the diagnosis. If the test is positive, and there is a history of unprotected sex, the diagnosis of genital warts can be confirmed.
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> 4.4// What to do if you have genital warts?
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Genital warts are a common sexually transmitted disease, and there are effective treatment options available. Therefore, if you contract this disease, do not panic. First, stop having sexual intercourse to prevent transmission to others. Second, have your sexual partner get tested so that you can receive treatment at the same time.
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There are currently many methods for treating genital warts, mainly three:
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The first method involves applying medication, such as Wu Miao Shui Xian Gao (五妙水仙膏), to the base of the tumor. After a week, the tumors will fall off naturally.
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The second method involves directly destroying the tumor using lasers, microwaves, or liquid nitrogen. When lasers, microwaves, or liquid nitrogen are applied directly to the tumor, they cause coagulation and necrosis, and can further destroy the base of the tumor, thereby preventing wart recurrence.
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The third option is to use antiviral drugs. There are many antiviral drugs available, some for intravenous infusion and some for oral administration, such as valacyclovir and acyclovir. However, drug treatment is only adjunctive. It is only effective when the tumor is removed and then combined with drugs, because a large number of viruses are located in the tumor. Only by removing the viruses in the tumor can a large number of viruses in the body be cleared.
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> 4.5 // How to prevent genital warts?
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Genital warts are a sexually transmitted disease. You will generally not get this disease as long as you do not engage in unsafe sexual intercourse.
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In addition, using condoms during intercourse can effectively prevent many sexually transmitted diseases, especially viral infections such as genital warts and HIV.
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Therefore, the function of condoms is not only contraception, but more importantly, prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. Hence, condoms are also called safety condoms.
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> 4.6 // How long is the incubation period for genital warts?**
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The incubation period for genital warts is 1 to 6 months, with an average of 3 months.
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> 4.7 // What are the common sites of genital warts?
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The most common sites for penile occlusion in men are the coronal sulcus, frenulum, glans, inner foreskin, urethral opening, penile shaft, and perianal area.
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**Syphilis**
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> 5.1//What is syphilis?**
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Syphilis is a global epidemic disease. It was introduced to my country from India in the 16th century. my country basically eradicated syphilis in the 1960s, but it began to spread again in my country in the 1980s. In 2001, the incidence rate of syphilis in my country was 6.11 per 100,000, making it one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases.
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Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by a pathogenic microorganism called "Treponema pallidum". After infection, the spirochetes spread rapidly throughout the body and can invade almost every tissue and organ. The clinical manifestations are diverse and intermittent, and the course of the disease is very long.
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In its early stages, syphilis primarily affects the skin and mucous membranes, while in its later stages it affects the cardiovascular and nervous systems. On the other hand, syphilis can also remain asymptomatic for many years, remaining latent.
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Sexual contact is the primary route of transmission, especially among untreated syphilis patients within the first year of infection, who are the most infectious. As time goes on, the infectivity gradually decreases, and after four years of infection, it is generally considered that the infectivity is very low.
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What are the health hazards of syphilis (5.2/1)?
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Early syphilis generally has no serious consequences other than causing edema and ulceration of the genitals. However, if left untreated, it can develop into secondary syphilis, which can cause temporary hair loss, syphilitic periostitis, and arthritis. If the lesions occur in the throat and nasal cavity, it can cause hoarseness or even complete loss of voice.
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When the disease progresses to the late stage, lesions can appear all over the body, and syphilitic heart disease and syphilitic encephalopathy may occur. It can also cause periostitis, osteitis, macroglossia, and edema and subcutaneous nodules may appear on the skin. However, due to the development of antibiotics, secondary and tertiary syphilis are rarely seen in my country.
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**5.3//How is syphilis transmitted?**
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Treponema pallidum does not survive well outside the body. It can be easily killed by boiling, drying, soapy water, and common disinfectants. It can survive for several hours on a damp towel.
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The optimal temperature is 37℃, it can survive for 2 hours at 41℃, and it will die immediately at 100℃.
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Patients who have been infected with syphilis for one year without any treatment are the main source of infection, and sexual contact is the primary route of transmission for syphilis.
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The incubation period for syphilis is 2 to 4 weeks. This means that after the syphilis spirochete enters the human body, it multiplies in the genital area. After 2 to 4 weeks, nodules or ulcers without obvious symptoms appear. If these nodules or ulcers are left untreated, they may disappear on their own within 2 to 6 weeks. This is not an improvement or self-healing, but rather the syphilis spirochete beginning to enter the bloodstream and further invade the whole body.
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If left untreated, secondary syphilis will develop into a skin rash and bone and eye damage within 8 to 10 weeks.
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Mother-to-child transmission.
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> This refers to a mother with syphilis directly transmitting the virus to her fetus; transmission usually occurs after the fourth month of pregnancy.
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Other routes of transmission are very rare, such as kissing, breastfeeding, transfusion of blood containing the syphilis pathogen, and transmission through towels, clothing, etc. These methods of transmission are uncommon.
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> 5.4 // How to determine if someone has early-stage syphilis?
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① Typical symptoms include: ulcers in the external genitalia and unexplained edema of the external genitalia.
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②Has a history of unsafe sexual intercourse.
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③ Positive serological test for syphilis.
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Syphilis can be diagnosed based on the above three criteria, among which ① and ③ are the most important. Syphilis can also be diagnosed if these two criteria are met.
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> 5.5 // How to treat syphilis?
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Thanks to the development of modern medicine and the continuous discovery of new antibiotics, treating syphilis is no longer a difficult problem. As long as syphilis is detected early and treated properly, it can be said that syphilis is completely curable.
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Currently, the primary drug used to treat syphilis is long-acting penicillin, which can generally cure the condition in 10 to 15 days.
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For those allergic to penicillin, tetracycline, azithromycin, or other medications can be used for treatment.
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To ensure that syphilis patients are cured and to detect patients who have failed treatment early, patients should continue to have regular check-ups at the hospital for 2 to 3 years after treatment.
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> 5.6 // How to prevent syphilis?
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Treponema pallidum does not survive well outside the body and can be easily killed by boiling, drying, soapy water, and common disinfectants. Syphilis is mainly transmitted sexually, and as long as unsafe sexual intercourse is avoided, syphilis can generally be avoided. However, it should be noted that Treponema pallidum can survive for several hours on a damp towel, and poorly disinfected clothing may also be a route of transmission. In clinical medical activities, there are many cases of syphilis contracted through bathing, so it is recommended to wear disposable clothing and develop the habit of frequent handwashing.
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> 5.7 How long is the incubation period for syphilis?
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The incubation period for syphilis is generally 2 to 4 weeks.