What are the symptoms of venereal disease?

There are five separate venereal diseases, no two of which are alik nor does one venereal disease "turn into" another. Two venereal d seases are most prevalent-syphilis and gonorrhea. Syphilis affects me and women very much the same way and medically has four stages. Us ually the syphilis germ enters the body through the skin in or aroun the sex organs, the rectum, or the mouth. The "primary stage" or th first sign of syphilis is a "sore" called a chancre (pronounced "shar ker"). This "sore" most frequently does not burt, making "sore" al inappropriate word. If the chancre is seen, it usually shows up two t twelve weeks after the person has caught the disease at the site wher the germ enters the body. Many times the chancre does not appear a all or it may be so small that it goes unnoticed. It may be hidden in side the rectum, the vagina or the mouth where it cannot be readily see or even felt since it is painless. The chancre may look like a pimple a blister or an open sore. This is full of syphilis germs, permitting the disease to be passed along very easily. The person with such a "sore' is dangerous to others exposed.

Soon after the appearance of the chancre, the germs begin to sprea through the body and the blood "Wasserman" test starts to become positive. After a couple of weeks, the chancre disappears, even without treatment, but this does not mean that syphilis has also disappearea The germs are merely hiding inside the body and increasing in number through the whole body. From two to six months after the person catches syphilis, the rash of the "secondary stage" may show up. This rash may look like a heat rash, the hives or measles. It may cover the body, or may be just on the hands and feet. It may appear in the mouth, or at the rectum. Since the rash also contains syphilis germs, the disease can be spread in this stage by intimate contact such as kissing. Like the first chancre of syphilis, the secondary rash will disappear in a week or more without any treatment. It is important to know that only one person in four will develop the secondary rash of syphilis.

In the majority of syphilis cases, the chancre is not found and rash does not occur. So the disease goes undetected, except for blood tests, and yet has established itself inside the body. If not treated, within two to twenty years, syphilis may begin to attack the heart, brain and spinal cord (the late or "tertiary stage"). Until these signs occur, syphilis has no symptoms and is said to be quiet or in the "latent stage." During the latent period, a person may feel fine and go along for years thinking he is healthy. But sooner or later he may become

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blind, insane or crippled, or he may develop heart trouble. Even in the later stages of syphilis, treatment will usually arrest the disease, but any damage to the body is not repaired-merely the progress stopped or slowed.

The symptoms of gonorrhea depend upon the parts of the body involved. Gonorrhea of the penis usually, starts with a burning pain on arination and a "tear drop" of pus from the penis. This usually occurs 2 to 10 days after intercourse with an infected person and most times is relatively easy to detect and diagnose.

On the other hand, gonorrhea of the rectum and gonorrhea of the woman's reproductive organs usually have no symptoms until several months have gone by. Consequently a man or woman, without any knowledge of his infection, may spread the disease to his intimate sex part-

ners.

When rectal gonorrhea does have symptoms it may merely be a moistness about the rectum, or some discomfort with bowel movements. Rather seldom, pus or bloody diarrhea may appear; or a person may experience constipation or much pain in or around the rectum, especially with bowel movements. Simarly, women sometimes have a discharge, but since many women have discharges anyway, it is not realized that gonorrhea is the cause. The disease ordinarily involves the cervix and has no specific signs other than discharge until it spreads up through her womb and into her tubes. Then she may have much pain and may have to be hospitalized for treatment. She may become sterile from scar tissue or may need an operation on her tubes which results in sterility. What are the common names for syphilis and gonorrhea? Syphilis is commonly called "bad blood," "siff," or "pox." Gonorrhea is commonly called "clap," "dose," or "strain."

What are the serious complications of venereal diseases? Syphilis most frequently causes serious complications, such as insanity, paralysis, blindness, deafness, heart disease and death. It is noteworthy though, that syphilis is not a frequent killer but is a great incapacitator. Most of the victims linger on in a crippled condition or with mental illness until death occurs from some other cause. Gonorrhea can cause permanent damage to the sexual organs in men and women, sterility, arthritis and blindness.

What should a person do if he suspects be may have venereal disease? Immediately seek medical attention-not wait and hope. Every person who is sexually active should have examinations compatible with the