Cases of a potentially life-threatening disease that tore across Europe during medieval times leaving millions dead are at record levels.
The symptoms include sores, warts and rashes and if left untreated can cause potentially fatal problems with your heart and brain. New data from the UK Health Security Agency shows infectious syphilis diagnoses increased to 8,692 in 2022, up 15.2% compared to 2021 and the largest annual number since 1948. Syphilis erupted across Europe in the 1490s, when the "exceptionally virulent" disease caused severe ulceration. Deaths from the period have been reported at five million.
But it's not the only serious sexually transmitted disease on the rise. Cases of gonorrhoea increased to 82,592 in 2022, an increase of 50.3% compared to 2021 and the highest number of diagnoses in any one year since records began in 1918. It, too, can cause serious health problems.
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The UK government says that while the increases will in part be due to increases in testing, the scale of the increase strongly suggests that there is more transmission of STIs within the population. It also warned that gonorrhoea is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics and at risk of becoming untreatable in the future, making it vital that people test early and diagnose the infection so that they can prevent passing it on.
What are the symptoms of syphilis?
The NHS says syphilis, left untreated, can cause serious and potentially life-threatening problems. It says the symptoms are:
- small sores/ulcers on your penis, vagina or around your anus
- sores in other areas, including in your mouth or on your lips or hands
- white or grey warty growths most commonly on your penis, vagina or around your anus
- a rash on the palms of your hands and soles of your feet that can sometimes spread all over your body – this is not usually itchy
- white patches in your mouth
- flu-like symptoms, such as a high temperature, headaches and tiredness
- swollen glands
- patchy hair loss on the head, beard and eyebrows.
It can take three weeks or more for the symptoms of syphilis to appear after you're infected. Sometimes the symptoms can improve or go away completely, but if you have not been treated the infection is still in your body so you can still pass it on and remain at risk of getting serious problems later on.
Syphilis is treated with antibiotics and you should wait until you have finished treatment and been given the all-clear before having sex. If not treated, syphilis can cause serious and potentially life-threatening problems including:
- heart problems like angina, aortic aneurysm and heart failure
- brain problems like fits (seizures), memory problems, personality changes and dementia
- nerve problems like shooting pains, pins and needles, joint pain and gradual damage the joints
- problems with the skin, bones, testicles, liver and any other organ.
Some of these problems may not appear for many years after being infected.
What are the symptoms of gonorrhoea?
The NHS says symptoms of gonorrhoea usually develop within about two weeks of being infected, but they sometimes do not appear until many months later. In fact, about one in 10 infected men and five in 10 infected women will not experience any obvious symptoms, which means the condition can go untreated for some time. The symptoms in men and women can be different. Gonorrhoea can be passed from a mother to her baby during childbirth. If gonorrhoea is left undiagnosed and untreated, you can continue to spread the infection and there's a risk of potentially serious complications, including infertility. Symptoms in women include:
- an unusual vaginal discharge, which may be thin or watery and green or yellow in colour
- pain or a burning sensation when passing urine
- pain or tenderness in the lower abdominal area (this is less common)
- bleeding between periods, heavier periods and bleeding after sex (this is less common).
In men, symptoms of gonorrhoea can include:
- an unusual discharge from the tip of the penis, which may be white, yellow or green
- pain or a burning sensation when urinating
- inflammation (swelling) of the foreskin
- pain or tenderness in the testicles (this is rare).
Gonorrhoea is usually treated with antibiotics. Any symptoms will usually improve within a few days and you should avoid having sex until you have been treated and given the all-clear to prevent re-infection or passing the infection on to anyone else.
The UK Health Security Agency said everyone having sex with new or casual partners should wear a condom and get tested regularly.
Dr Hamish Mohammed, consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA, said: "We saw more gonorrhoea diagnoses in 2022 than ever before, with large rises particularly in young people. STIs aren’t just an inconvenience – they can have a major impact on your health and that of any sexual partners. Condoms are the best defence, but if you didn’t use one the last time you had sex with a new or casual partner, get tested to detect any potential infections early and prevent passing them on to others. Testing is important because you may not have any symptoms of an STI."
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