What is the prevention of syphilis infection? How to protect yourself from syphilis (methods of protection) Medication methods to prevent syphilis.

Prevention of syphilis includes rules to avoid contracting a sexually transmitted disease. Syphilis is a disease that is quite difficult to treat. According to statistics, the number of cases is growing. Medicine, which is developing rapidly, is still struggling with this disease. The causative agent of the disease is a spirochete. This bacterium lives in oxygen-free conditions, but also in environment she survives quite well. This pathogen can remain active for 3 days. The bacterium tolerates low temperatures well, but dies at high temperatures. It has been established that when the temperature rises to 60°C, the spirochete dies within 20 minutes. Once exposed to boiling water, it dies immediately. It is easily destroyed by disinfectants and antiseptics.

Main causes and symptoms of the disease

The most common cause is unprotected sex. Largest quantity cases of infection with this disease cover the age range of 20-29 years. In recent decades, the number of cases has been constantly increasing. According to medical data, a larger percentage of those with the primary form are men, and the majority of those with the secondary form are women.

1. The most common route of infection is sexual contact.
2. Non-sexual method. Transmission of the infection occurs during breastfeeding, through kissing, biting, and through contact of medical workers with a patient with syphilis. There are known cases of pathologists becoming infected during autopsies.
3. Blood transfusions can cause infection from a sick person. Such cases arise due to the negligence and inattention of medical staff.
4. Indirect infection. The spirochete reaches a healthy person through pus, mucus or breast milk.
5. Through the placenta. During pregnancy, when the placenta is damaged, the pathogen enters the blood vessels and infects the fetus.
6. The state of human immunity.

The disease has the following symptoms:

1. A symptom of the onset of the disease when an ulcer forms, also known as chancre. This happens 2-4 weeks after infection. The symptoms are painless and occur in the genitals, area around the anus, lips and mouth. The location of the ulcer depends on where the pathogen has penetrated. A chancre is a red spot from which a papule is formed. It, in turn, turns into an ulcer. Within a month, this ulcer heals, but this is not a sign of recovery, but an indicator that primary syphilis has ended.
2. Pale red rashes, weight loss, hair loss, loss of appetite, joint pain, throat pain. Sometimes there is swelling of the genital organs and enlarged lymph nodes. Such signs develop 3-6 weeks after infection. Condylomas cover the genitals. These symptoms last up to 6 months. After this time, the patient poses no threat of infection. The bacterium begins to spread to other organs and tissues. If syphilis is not treated, it will progress to the tertiary stage.
3. The bacterium affects the brain and spinal cord, blood vessels, bone tissue. Seals form on the skin, at the site of which tissues are destroyed. Such seals first appear in the form of small tubercles, which then grow to 3-4 cm in diameter. They are filled with liquid inside. After the tubercles disintegrate, it flows out and a scar forms in this place. The tertiary stage of the disease begins 5 years after infection and lasts a lifetime. The eyes, heart and brain are affected. A complication of such syphilis is blindness, mental disorders, paralysis As a result, the patient dies due to extensive bacterial damage to the entire body.

Syphilis is diagnosed using a blood test and a rapid test.

Treatment methods

Syphilis is treatable in primary and secondary forms. To do this, the patient is given an injection of Penicillin. If syphilis is congenital or has already passed into the tertiary form, then the course of treatment will be long, the doses of Penicillin will be increased. People who have allergic reaction to Penicillin, it is replaced with Tetracycline, Erythromycin.

The main danger of this disease is that most of it occurs hidden. The symptoms that appear are very similar to those of skin diseases.

Infection can occur when using shared dishes and other utensils, towels, etc. Symptoms of the disease directly depend on its stage. Syphilis can be congenital or acquired. In the first case, the pathogen penetrates during pregnancy through the placenta to the developing fetus, and in the second, you can become infected throughout life. In this regard, the acquired disease has different stages of its course.

If syphilis and sexually transmitted diseases such as chlamydia and trichomoniasis occur simultaneously, syphilis is treated first, and then other infections.

As additional treatment measures, vitamins, immunomodulators, enzymes, as well as physiotherapeutic procedures are prescribed. Sexual partners of a person with syphilis must be tested and examined to identify signs of the disease. If they are not detected, then preventive treatment is carried out with Penicillin. If the disease is treated incorrectly and untimely, its outcome will be fatal.

Prevention methods

Prevention of syphilis is aimed at preventing infection. If there is a person in your close circle with this disease, then the preventive measures will be as follows:

1. Use separate dishes and cutlery.
2. Use of personal hygiene products and household items. No shared towels, scarves, or bed linen.
3. Refrain not only from sexual contact with the patient, but also from kissing while the disease is in the contagious stage.

If you follow these preventive measures, the risk of becoming infected at home is reduced to almost zero. There is a very high risk of infection during casual sexual intercourse with strangers and unfamiliar people, if a condom was not used during sexual intercourse. If such contact occurs, the following measures must be taken immediately afterwards:

1. Within 2 hours after contact, carry out preventive treatment. It is necessary to contact a medical institution or an anti-venereal aid station. This treatment involves treating the genitals with a special solution that destroys the pathogen. A week after this procedure, you should undergo an examination to rule out infection. Only then can sexual relations begin.
2. After 2 weeks you can get tested and be examined for syphilis and other diseases. If syphilis is present, then its incubation period is over. It will be possible to diagnose it.
3. Do not resort to any independent treatment methods. This may not only not bring results, but also worsen the course of the disease.

There are other measures to prevent syphilis. These include screening individuals at risk. Such persons include prostitutes and drug addicts. During pregnancy, every woman undergoes two or three blood tests for syphilis to detect the congenital form of the disease. Pregnant women who have had this disease before in their medical history undergo additional examination.

In order to never encounter this disease or reduce the risk of getting it, you need to abstain from casual sex, have one trusted partner, and use a condom. ethnoscience offers its own methods of prevention:

• washing the genitals externally with water or soap solution;
• douching, that is, washing the vagina and rectum with a shower;
• douching and enemas with antiseptic solutions containing chlorine.

Official medicine, having examined these methods, recognized that none of them has the desired effect and does not remove the causative agent of the disease. And vaginal douching also causes harm to the body.

When sexual contact occurs without appropriate protection, there is a huge risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases, in particular syphilis. A particularly dangerous group of close contact partners are people with obvious skin rashes, which are highly contagious.

If there are such patients among your surroundings, then you definitely need to pay attention to precautionary measures; do not neglect protection against syphilis.

Along with the generally accepted rules of personal hygiene, it is worth using some specific preventive measures:

• You and the patient must have separate utensils. It is better to wash all used kitchen utensils with laundry soap.
• Hygiene products must be individual. The bathroom and shower stall must be treated with chlorine-based detergents.
• Sexual relations, kissing and other physical contact with the patient should be excluded.

Syphilis is an insidious disease; the risk of contracting it through casual unprotected sexual intercourse with unfamiliar partners always remains high. How to protect yourself from syphilis after such contact? It is urgent to take preventive measures:

• Preventive treatment should be started within an hour after intercourse.
• After three weeks, you must contact a venereologist and undergo the appropriate tests.
• Avoid self-medication; as a result, the incubation period of the disease may be delayed, and serological tests will not be correct.
• Oblige your sexual partner to undergo an infectious disease examination.

At the state level, this disease, like an infection, is subject to medical control. The following methods of protection against syphilis are used:

• Each carrier of the disease must be registered at the dispensary.
• Regular medical examination of family members and sexual partners who have regular contact with the patient.
• Survey of citizens from risk groups.
• Repeated serological examination of pregnant women for syphilis, with the aim of timely detection of the congenital type of the disease. Preventive registration of pregnant women who had syphilis before pregnancy.

Personal responsibility is the best of all options for protecting yourself from syphilis. Control over sex life and sexual relations, the use of condoms and personal prevention are the most reliable protection against sexually transmitted diseases.

Prevention of syphilis is a set of fairly simple measures, the observance of which will help protect against a life-threatening disease. It is not surprising that the disease is classified as a group of socially significant problems: it is easily transmitted, but getting rid of the disease is very difficult even today. That is why the issues of general and individual prevention of syphilis must be approached with all seriousness.

Features of the disease

Almost all of us are at risk for this disease. But in order to prevent infection and avoid a lot of trouble, you need to be as knowledgeable as possible about the following issues related to syphilis:

• etiology;
• epidemiology;
• clinic;
• prevention.

Etiology

Let's start in order. The cause of syphilis, like any other infectious disease, is infection with pathogenic microorganisms. In this case, the causative agent of the infection is Treponema pallidum. These microbes reproduce by transverse division in a 30-hour cycle. In blood or serum at a temperature of +4 °C, the infection is viable for 24 hours. This feature is important to consider during direct blood transfusion. Treponema pallidum dies instantly in a dry environment under the influence of ultraviolet rays and high temperatures(above +42 °C). Microbes die when they come into contact with arsenic, mercury and bismuth preparations. Treponemas live in frozen tissues for several weeks, and in a humid environment - no more than 15 hours. The infection enters the human body through damaged epidermis or mucous membranes.

Epidemiology

Only humans can get syphilis, and therefore the infected patient is a source of transmission of the infection. The disease can be acquired or congenital. Basic instructions for the prevention of syphilis are present in medical institutions in almost all countries of the world, but, unfortunately, the disease continues to be diagnosed everywhere. In some states or their individual regions, the incidence can reach almost epidemic proportions.

Clinic (symptoms)

You need to know not only about the prevention of syphilis healthy people, but also for those who have already become infected. As is known, this disease occurs in several stages, at each of which the probability of transmission of the pathogen and the route of infection change. The main symptom of syphilis is the appearance of hard ulcers (chancres). Foci of erosion are painless, especially in the initial stages, have a bright color and clear oval boundaries. In addition, the disease may be accompanied by:

• persistent low-grade fever;
• insomnia;
• headaches;
• aches in the body, joints, bones;
• malaise;
• swelling of the genitals.

Transmission of infection through sexual contact

Syphilis is most often contracted during vaginal, anal and oral sex. If you have unprotected sexual intercourse with a carrier of Treponema pallidum, the probability of “catch” the disease reaches 80%. Women are especially susceptible to infection. In this case, the main measure to prevent syphilis will be the use of a condom or latex napkin.

Disease prevention

• Those who are sexually active should be tested for sexually transmitted infections, including syphilis, at least once a year.
• Both men and women should avoid sexual relations with casual and unknown partners.
• It is important to use barrier methods of contraception. Taking hormonal drugs and installing an intrauterine device prevent the onset of unwanted pregnancy, but do not protect against treponema pallidum.

In addition, it should be remembered that a condom does reduce the chances of infection, but does not eliminate them altogether. The likelihood of infection increases if you have sex with a partner whose body is covered with chancre. You should not neglect the condom during oral sex - it is the refusal to use latex products that entails the appearance of bright red erosive ulcers in the mouth.

You can find other recommendations on the Internet for the prevention of syphilis. After unsafe sex, women are advised to immediately urinate, wash their genitals with soap and douche with a bactericidal composition. However, the effectiveness of such measures to prevent syphilis is extremely negligible. In addition, frequent vaginal douching causes disturbances in the composition of the microflora, which often become the causes of a number of gynecological problems.

Household syphilis

Syphilitic rashes with an erosive or ulcerative surface, saliva, semen, breast milk, blood and lymphatic fluid are contagious. The household route of transmission of infection is relevant through direct contact with ulcerative lesions. A serous fluid infested with representatives of Treponema pallidum is secreted from the syphilitic chancre. With close household contact with a sick person and the presence of damage to the skin, the chances of infection increase.

How to avoid getting infected with syphilis from a patient while living in the same house

You can protect yourself from infection, but it is important to follow a number of rules regarding personal hygiene, the use of individual things, etc. Living in the same room with an infected person creates a real threat to all household members. First of all, you need to:

• Avoid any touching or physical contact, including hugs, handshakes and kisses.
• A person with syphilis must have individual dishes and cutlery. It must be washed separately from the rest, and then be sure to treat it with disinfectant solutions.
• Under no circumstances should you share personal hygiene items (toothbrush, washcloth, razors) and everyday items (towels, bed linen, clothes, etc.).
• It is important to regularly disinfect the bathtub, sink, and toilet.

Hematological route of infection

Syphilis is also transmitted through blood. Treponema pallidum can be infected through direct blood transfusion. However, this type of infection is a common occurrence among drug addicts who use the same syringe. For people leading a normal lifestyle, the chances of infection are minimal because:

• if transfusion is necessary, donor blood is promptly examined to identify Treponema pallidum;
• The causative agent of syphilis dies when blood is stored or preserved after 4-5 days.

Intrauterine infection

As such, there is no prevention of congenital syphilis. If expectant mother infected, with a probability of up to 90% we can talk about infection of the fetus. Most often this occurs in the last trimester of pregnancy. Treponema pallidum first affects the placenta, and through it the child. If you become infected with syphilis during pregnancy, it is impossible to carry the pregnancy to term. But even if the fetus survives in the mother’s womb, such a child is born with congenital syphilis and, as a result, severe damage to internal organs.

Prevention during pregnancy

• It is necessary to undergo laboratory tests for syphilis at the stage of maternity planning.
• All women during pregnancy must undergo a blood test for RW (Wassermann reaction, RW) several times.
• If at least one of the results is positive, additional studies are prescribed. If the diagnosis is confirmed, the pregnant woman will have to undergo a course of antibiotic treatment.
• After treatment and prevention of syphilis, women must be registered and observed by a doctor for about another year.

If preventive therapy is ineffective, the pregnant woman is offered to terminate the pregnancy for medical reasons. To avoid having to do this hard choice, all girls planning a pregnancy should be pre-screened for STDs. For the purpose of prevention after syphilis, you do not need to immediately give up contraceptives. They must be used until complete cure of the infection is confirmed by several test results.

Urgent preventive measures

After unprotected sex with a potential carrier of Treponema pallidum, there is still a chance to prevent infection and development of the disease. This can be done within the first two days after sexual intercourse.

Emergency prevention consists of consultation and urgent examination by a venereologist. Since such a disease in the initial stages is characterized by a latent course, the doctor will prescribe treatment in addition to the prevention of syphilis. In clinics, venereologists prescribe strong antibiotics that help with as soon as possible kill the infection that has not yet spread.

But remember that you cannot take such drugs on your own. An incorrectly selected dosage, dosage regimen or inappropriate active substance can have the opposite effect, prolonging the incubation period, and provoke a false negative blood test result for RV.

After some time, you should re-donate blood for syphilis to make sure there is no infection. To be more confident, the specialist will advise you to undergo a repeat examination in a couple of months. If no symptoms appear during this period, there is no doubt about the effectiveness of the prevention.

Drug ways to prevent syphilis

By the way, today there is no optimal vaccination against this disease, so the use medicines and emergency prevention are the only effective methods of protection.

Speaking about specific prevention of syphilis, it is worth noting that it is carried out independently by a person exposed to the risk of infection as a result of communication with an unreliable sexual partner. Such prevention is carried out using pocket funds. Before using medications, be sure to read the instructions. To prevent syphilis without prior consultation with your doctor, you can use:

• "Chlorhexidine."
• "Miramistin".
• "Tsidipol".
• "Gibitan."

Specific prevention of syphilis is carried out by representatives of both sexes. For men, take a 2-3% aqueous solution of Protargol, Gibitan, Tsidipol. Women should use a more gentle concentration (1-2%) solution of silver nitrate and other antimicrobial agents.

How to stop the spread of infection

Despite numerous measures to prevent syphilis, much depends on the behavior of infected people. To prevent further transmission of the infection, infected persons should follow a number of restrictions:

• Upon receipt positive result analysis, treatment should begin immediately. There should be no delays or interruptions in therapy, as this is dangerous not only for the patient himself, but also for his loved ones.
• It is imperative to inform all sexual partners about the diagnosis, primarily those with whom you had sexual contact during the incubation period.
• Despite the fact that the patient’s condition allows treatment at home, hospitalization in a dermatovenous dispensary will be of primary importance. Within the walls of a medical facility, under the supervision of specialists, the patient must take medications every 3 hours for 2-3 weeks. There are other treatment regimens in which the patient is given a once-weekly injection of a long-acting antibacterial drug, but such therapy requires more careful monitoring.
• After completing the course of treatment, it is important to continue visiting the venereologist and undergo periodic tests.

Syphilis may long time recur, alternating with periods of remission. The duration of treatment for the disease is determined individually. It can last from several weeks to several years.

Prevention of the disease is largely ensured by the use of condoms - the simplest means of barrier contraception. If the infection is detected at an early stage and treated adequately, the prognosis for the patient is favorable. Meanwhile, cases of death caused by serious complications due to syphilis are not uncommon today. This circumstance is associated not only with the individual capabilities of the body’s weakened immune system, but also with neglect of medical prescriptions and reluctance to change lifestyle.

Treatment and prevention of syphilis are absolutely necessary measures not only for restoring and strengthening one’s own health, but also for preventing possible serious consequences after unprotected sexual contacts. The difference between one and the other direction is only in the methods of combating the disease.

Syphilis is one of the most dangerous sexually transmitted infections. The causative agent is Treponema pallidum, which belongs to the family of pale spirochetes. Treponema is transmitted primarily through sexual contact with a carrier of the disease. Incubation period can last from two weeks to several months.

The first symptoms are superficial, reflecting the site of direct penetration of the spirochete into the epithelium. Subsequently, the clinical picture changes according to the stages that the disease passes through in the absence of therapy.

Treatment involves strict pharmacological action on its causative agent.

Prevention of this disease emphasizes preventative, non-drug practices. In a narrow sense, it concerns individual mechanical protection from infection during sexual intercourse, avoidance of questionable sexual relations and personal hygiene.

In a broader aspect, measures to prevent syphilis also extend to the social sphere, which includes regular professional and individual examinations. The latter are especially necessary for women in order to prevent syphilis during pregnancy, which threatens the developing fetus with organic complications.

For preventive treatment of the consequences of infection with treponema in the body, it is used A complex approach. It is formed by SanPiN - sanitary rules and regulations of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. The country's generally accepted prevention of syphilis is divided into paired correlates that complement each other. These include the following types of preventative approaches:

• Social - individual;
• Nonspecific - specific;
• Primary - secondary.

The social approach enshrined in the Sanpin is the professional responsibility of employees of general medical institutions for the implementation of the following preventive measures:

• Health education lectures among patients at risk, especially adolescents;
• Annual examinations of all citizens assigned to this institution to identify any pathology;
• Registration of pregnant women for gynecological registration and their regular examination;
• Identification of allergic contraindications in the patient in order to avoid blood transfusion shock when administering certain drugs;
• Immediate isolation in the hospital of patients with an established diagnosis of acquired syphilis;
• Complete therapy that guarantees full recovery of the victim’s health.

An individual approach to prevention is, in fact, a personal matter for everyone. After all, every person must, first of all, be responsible for his own actions. Behavior that protects a person from infection during sexual intercourse is regulated here in great detail. The key points of the regulations are:

• Ensuring sex is as safe as possible. The likelihood of infection is reduced by contact with only one, obviously healthy, partner, so it is preferable to avoid casual relationships. Special products give even greater confidence: for men - condoms, for women - antibacterial pastes and suppositories;
• If sex was not protected by a condom, you should resort to emergency prevention against infection that could be sexually transmitted. Among the most effective antiseptics for washing the genitals after sex are betadine, chlorhexidine, miramistin, hibitan;
• Sexual activity with a new partner should begin with a mutual medical examination. In case of any doubt, agree on measures to protect against possible infection;
• Use only your own supplies for personal hygiene: razors, washcloths, towels.
• At the slightest suspicion of a sexually transmitted disease, consult a doctor and undergo a medical examination.

A nonspecific approach considers the prevention of diseases regardless of the gender and age of the patient. It is based on SanPiN, which normalizes the quality and quantity of medical services for a certain unit of time per average person. These statistics only affect the amount of funding for a particular item, including sexually transmitted diseases.

A specific approach differentiates the distribution of finances, and with them medical emphasis, on specific gender and age groups of patients: adolescents of both sexes, adult men, women, pregnant women, children. For each of these groups, physiologically and psychologically different, their own methods of diagnosis, treatment and prevention of the disease are prescribed.

The primary approach applies to individuals at risk. These mainly include young people adolescence. They often change their sexual partners, neglect the rules of safe sex, and thereby risk becoming infected with bacilli, trichomoniasis, and also acquiring acquired syphilis. The focus of this type of prevention is on the safety and selectivity of sexual intercourse.

The secondary approach to prevention affects the population who have already had primary syphilis. The main efforts of doctors here are to prevent secondary infection of treponema, which is not completely destroyed during treatment, and to prevent the generalization of infection throughout the body with damage to the most important systems, including the brain.

Each of the approaches outlined above is based largely on psychological impact and voluntary compliance by patients with a number of necessary rules to protect against primary or re-infection with syphilis. At the same time, all persons who had even everyday contact with the patient, especially members of his family, are advised to take preventive measures of medication.

Preventive therapy

The main active pharmacological agents for trichomoniasis, which often accompanies it, are considered to be antibiotics from the penicillin family. They purposefully act on the causative agent of the disease - treponema - and completely remove it from the body. This has been tested in practice many times. The only contraindication to the use of these drugs in preventive treatment may be an allergy to them.

There are many therapeutic regimens for the preventive treatment of syphilis. All of them are in one way or another focused on one of the groups, which has its own physiological specificity. These include:

• Adults,
• Children,
• Pregnant women,
• Persons suffering from congenital syphilis.

Preventive treatment for adult men and women

The use of penicillin as a prophylactic agent is regulated by Sanpin. In the clinic, this antibiotic, depending on the body’s susceptibility, is prescribed intramuscularly in the form of:

• Water-soluble product;
• Sodium salt;
• Durant form.

The average duration of treatment for syphilis with any form of penicillin usually does not exceed 14 days. The only difference is the frequency of injections.

For water-soluble penicillin, it is equal to 8 injections - one every 3 hours. The sodium salt of the antibiotic is administered 2 times a day. Penicillin in the durant form of Bicillins 1 and 3 is administered twice a week, that is, only 4 times per course.

In case of idiosyncrasy to penicillin, it is compensated by drugs from the tetracycline line. The most effective of them is Doxilin tablets. Azithromycin and Erythromycin, as substances that do not have a sufficient effect on treponema, are rarely prescribed. More often they are used to treat trichomoniasis.

Prevention of syphilis with medications is carried out only if up to three months. For a period of up to six months or more, before each new treatment course, the patient should undergo a full examination for the presence of a pathogen in the body or the consequences of its activity. If the tests come back negative, antibiotics are not needed.

A similar practice applies to people who have received blood transfusions from individuals infected with syphilis.

Preventive therapy for children

The decisive criterion for prescribing preventive treatment of a child for syphilis and trichomoniasis, according to the Sanpin method, is his constant contact with the patient. Most often in children whose age does not exceed three years, we mean everyday contacts. In this case, the use of an antibiotic is mandatory. Preventive therapy for older children is prescribed taking into account possible sexual contact with an infected partner, as well as the form and severity of the latter’s disease.

The course of treatment will be determined by a specialist based on the results of the examination. Sometimes the matter is limited to non-drug measures.

In the list of drugs intended for the preventive treatment of children, penicillin is the leader among antibiotics, as in adults. If the child’s age does not exceed two years, only the sodium salt of the antibiotic or its novocaine solution is used. At older ages, injections of bicillin or ampicillin with oxacillin tablets are acceptable. The pharmacological characteristics of all these drugs are approximately similar.

Fighting uterine infection

Prevention of congenital syphilis is carried out in the postpartum period to determine the degree of infection of the child from a mother who had syphilis during pregnancy or was in contact with a patient.

The examination is carried out by a pediatrician, venereologist, ophthalmologist, specialists in ENT, neurological and other diseases characteristic of secondary syphilis. In addition, the blood and the condition of the musculoskeletal system are examined, which is determined using radiography. In doubtful cases, spinal cord puncture is allowed to analyze lumbar fluid.

To treat the consequences of intrauterine infection, antibiotics from a number of penicillins or cephalosporins are prescribed. The dose and duration of the therapeutic course are calculated based on the baby’s weight and his well-being.

Features of prevention for pregnant women

Preventive measures against syphilis in pregnant women are determined using the patient's medical history. The presence of even completely cured syphilis or trichomoniasis in the past is an indication for preventive penicillin therapy. It must accompany every pregnancy.

Conclusion

Syphilis is one of those complex and dangerous infections that should be avoided at any age. Local tissue damage eventually spreads to the entire body, destroys it and leads to death.

Prevention of syphilis involves the use of non-drug measures. If necessary, in order to prevent illness, the patient is prescribed antibacterial drugs.

Syphilis – infection, which is caused by Treponema pallidum and is characterized by a specific clinical picture and staged course. The main route of transmission of the pathogen is sexual contact. The high contagiousness and peculiarities of the course of the disease have necessitated the development of clear recommendations for its prevention, which is especially important for children and women during pregnancy. Prevention of syphilis is a set of public and individual measures, the main goal of which is to reduce the number of cases of infection.

All disease prevention measures can be divided into several types - individual and public, specific and nonspecific, primary and secondary. Preventive treatment of syphilis is highlighted. All groups of preventive measures complement each other. It is possible to achieve this goal only by using an integrated approach.

Public prevention

In general, public prevention of syphilis is those measures that are carried out by employees of medical institutions and consist of the following:

• conducting regular examinations of the population to diagnose the disease;
• timely registration and examination of pregnant women;
• thorough check of blood transfusion components;
• carrying out sanitary and educational work among adolescents;
• full treatment and medical examination of infected patients, carrying out explanatory work.

Individual prevention

Individual preventive measures are applied separately to each person. He himself is responsible for their implementation. It is their neglect that most often becomes the cause of the development of the disease. So.

1. One of the key points is safe sex. It implies having a stable sexual partner, using condoms during all types of sex, and avoiding casual relationships.
2. The use of strictly individual household items - towels, washcloths, shaving accessories. Medical workers who come into contact with biological fluids must use personal protective equipment.
3. After unprotected sexual intercourse, it would not be superfluous to use a chlorhexidine solution or other antiseptic. To some extent, this can be regarded as emergency prevention of STDs.
4. Before starting sexual activity with a new partner, discuss protective measures and undergo mutual examination.
5. Regularly undergo preventive medical examinations. If you have any questions, discuss them with your family doctor.

Preventative treatment

All of the above preventive measures do not require the use of pharmaceuticals and are carried out as planned. Patients who have had contact with a patient with syphilis, including children, women during pregnancy, as well as newborn babies whose mother had syphilis during pregnancy or had contact with an infectious patient, are prescribed drug prophylaxis.

Considering the etiology of the disease, an antibiotic is used for this purpose, most often of the penicillin series. It does not lose its effectiveness against treponema. The exception is patients with penicillin intolerance.

Preventive treatment for adults

Today, the prevention of syphilis is carried out using several methods, according to which the antibiotic can be prescribed in three forms.

If penicillin is intolerant, the patient is prescribed tetracycline drugs, in particular Doxycycline tablets. Less commonly prescribed macrolides are Erythromycin, Azithromycin. The final choice is made by a specialist, taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient.

Drug prophylaxis using the above methods is carried out if contact occurred no more than three months ago. If 3 months to six months have passed, before taking an antibiotic, the patient must undergo two examinations with an interval of two months. If more than six months have passed, a single examination is sufficient to diagnose the disease. In case of negative test results, preventive medication is not required.

Similar tactics are carried out in relation to persons who have received blood components from patients with syphilis.

Preventive treatment for children

The criteria for selecting children for drug prevention of syphilis are similar to those that apply to adults - close household or sexual contact with a carrier of the infection. For children under three years of age, antibiotics are prescribed without fail. The decision on preventive treatment for older children is made on an individual basis, taking into account the form of the disease.

Like adults, children are prescribed a penicillin antibiotic. Children under 2 years of age are administered only novocaine or sodium salt of penicillin. Older children can use bicillins. As an alternative, you can use semi-synthetic penicillins - oxacillin and ampicillin. The advantage of the latter is that tablets can be used instead of injections.

Prevention of congenital syphilis

The causative agent of the disease is able to penetrate the blood-placental barrier, causing congenital syphilis in the baby. If future mom during pregnancy, suffered from syphilis or was in contact with a carrier of the infection, in the first three months after birth the child should be examined by a pediatrician, dermatovenerologist, neurologist, ophthalmologist, ENT specialist. A blood test and x-ray of the extremities are required. If indicated, a lumbar puncture and cerebrospinal fluid analysis are performed.

A penicillin or cephalosporin antibiotic is taken for 2-3 weeks. The dose is calculated taking into account the patient's body weight.

Prevention of congenital syphilis is not carried out in the following cases:

• if a woman had syphilis before pregnancy and received full treatment;
• during the period of bearing the baby, the expectant mother took an antibiotic for prophylaxis;
• the child does not have any after birth objective signs diseases.

No treatment is allowed only if all three conditions are met simultaneously. In addition, the antibiotic is not prescribed to children after 1 year of age who have not previously been examined, and the results of the current examination are negative.

Prevention of syphilis in pregnant women

If a woman has been treated for the disease in the past, drug prophylaxis is prescribed for each pregnancy. After deregistration, women with seroresistance during their first pregnancy take the antibiotic.

Conclusion

Syphilis is a very insidious disease. During pregnancy, it poses a danger not only for the mother, but also for the child. Patients with any complaints should definitely consult a dermatovenerologist. This will help to diagnose the pathology in time and begin its treatment.