Venereal Disease in the Services; Syphilis & Gonorrhea

This sign is one of many erected in Railway Stations around Australia.

Venereal disease was prevalent and in the days before antibiotics was hard to treat.

Treatment stations were set up near areas where servicemen congregated.

They were called "prophylactic stations" and a blue light was burnt at the entrance to them.

Venereal disease was most commonly transmitted by prostitutes.

• The US Army had the same problem, even post war >>>

Keeping Fit To Fight: a US Army Publication with British Army approval.

Syphilis

Syphilis is an infection that is usually acquired through sexual contact with another infected person. Syphilis can be frightening because if it goes untreated, it can lead to serious health problems and increase a person's risk for HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus, which causes AIDS.

It's important to know the symptoms of syphilis so that if you suspect that you or your child has it, you can be diagnosed and treated right away. If you're pregnant, it's important to get screened for syphilis and treated if you have it so that you don't pass the infection on to your baby. If your teen is sexually active, it's important to explain the importance of avoiding any behavior like unprotected sex that might put your child at risk for syphilis or other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

Symptoms of Syphilis
Syphilis, which is caused by the bacteria Treponema pallidum, typically first appears as a sore on the area where there has been sexual contact with the infected person. If the infection goes untreated, it can progress to affect the entire body. That's why it's important to talk to your doctor if you think that you may have syphilis or if you have engaged in any behavior that would put you at risk for developing the disease.

Syphilis typically has three stages - primary, secondary, and late (tertiary). There are different symptoms at each stage of the infection.

Primary Syphilis
The symptoms of primary syphilis typically appear 2 to 6 weeks after sexual contact with an infected person. A painless red sore called a chancre appears, usually on the genitals. Depending on the type of contact, the chancre may also appear on the mouth or in the rectal area. Usually there are also enlarged lymph nodes (swollen glands) near the area of the chancre sore. Without treatment, the chancre heals after 4 to 6 weeks, leaving a thin scar, and the second stage of syphilis begins. These sores are the primary way that the disease is transmitted between people.

Secondary Syphilis
This stage usually begins 2 to 10 weeks after the chancre heals. Syphilis bacteria enter the blood and spread through the body, causing many different symptoms, including rash (small red bumps), fever, headache, loss of appetite, weight loss, sore throat, muscle aches, joint pain, a generally ill feeling, and enlarged lymph nodes. The rash of secondary syphilis, which is the primary way that the disease is transmitted between people at that stage, is unique because it can appear on the palms and on the soles. Gray or white wart-like patches of skin called condylomata lata can appear on the moist areas around the anus and vagina. In this stage, syphilis may affect the liver, kidneys, and eyes or cause meningitis. The symptoms of secondary syphilis will eventually go away. But without treatment, the infection will advance to the next stage, tertiary syphilis.

Late (Tertiary) Syphilis
After the secondary stage, some people with syphilis progress to a latent stage where they have no more symptoms. Others go on to have symptoms of late syphilis that can appear even years later and affect the eyes, large blood vessels, heart, and bones. Neurosyphilis, by definition, is an infection of the central nervous system. The symptoms of this late stage of syphilis may include memory loss, problems with mental function, walking, balance, bladder control, and vision, in addition to impotence and loss of feeling, particularly in the legs. From Kid's Health

Gonorrhea (Gonococcal infections)

When there are symptoms, two of the most common ones are painful urination (more common in men) and a cloudy discharge from the penis or vagina. This discharge may be thick and may have a greenish-yellow color. Many males who have gonorrhea have few or no symptoms. Again, it is quite possible to have a gonococcal infection and have no pain or discharge.

In women, gonococcal infections may cause no symptoms at all. There may be pain or burning on urination. Less commonly, there may be lower abdominal pain, painful intercourse, and abnormal bleeding from the vagina.

In either sex, when a gonococcal infection affects the rectum, there can be rectal pain, especially during a bowel movement. When a gonococcal infection affects the throat, the throat may be sore.

In males, an untreated gonococcal infection can cause scars to form inside the urethra (tube inside the penis that carries urine and semen), and these scars can make urination difficult. In females, an untreated gonococcal infection can spread upward from the vaginal area to cause acute pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) - an infection of the uterus, fallopian tubes, and abdominal cavity. Abscesses of the fallopian tubes can also occur. In women, damage and scars left by untreated gonococcal infections also can cause infertility.

In either sex, an untreated gonococcal infection can spread through the blood to parts of the body that are far from the sex organs. Rarely, this can lead to gonococcal infections of the joints (leading to acute arthritis in a particular joint such as the knee), skin (with a sometimes painful rash), bones, tendons (with tenderness to touch and on movement), heart, or the area around the liver.

From Kid's Health

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