Xiao Hai (pseudonym), 20, and Xiao Wen (pseudonym), 19, met on a dating app in Luogang District, Shenzhen. After meeting in person, they quickly fell in love and got married in a whirlwind romance a month later.
After getting married, Xiaowen became pregnant quickly. However, during a prenatal checkup in September, she was diagnosed with syphilis, at which point the fetus was already five months old.
This result made Xiao Hai feel like "the sky had fallen," and his whole family was plunged into crisis.
Image source: Shenzhen Health Commission
Initially, Xiaowen's father believed that Xiaohai had infected his wife with syphilis. However, Xiaohai's subsequent test results were surprising: he did not have syphilis, while Xiaowen's two tests both showed that she had syphilis . Based on the results, the doctor concluded that Xiaowen had contracted syphilis before marriage.
In an interview, Xiao Hai expressed his anger: "Her father said it was from her clothes. When asked whose clothes they were, he said they were her second sister's or her mother's. They have been giving me the runaround."
A crisis looms over the whole family, and the decision of whether to keep the baby or not has become a difficult one...
Just how virulent is syphilis?
Syphilis was known in ancient times as " flower and willow disease " because it was a sexually transmitted disease. People who frequented brothels in ancient times had a high chance of contracting it, hence the name.
In terms of its morphological appearance, syphilis is also known as " syphilis sores " or " syphilis ulcers " because the skin ulcers it causes resemble the shape of a bayberry. However, most people only know about syphilis through hearsay, and almost no one has actually witnessed a patient "dying from skin ulceration ."
In fact, two-thirds of syphilis patients in clinical practice do not have skin symptoms; in other words , they look no different from healthy people .
Syphilis without skin symptoms is called " latent syphilis ," and Xiaowen's case is a typical example of latent syphilis. Even in the latent state, patients still pose a risk of transmission. Because there are no external lesions, it is invisible to people, making the routes of transmission and risks more extensive.
People often think that contracting syphilis must be closely related to a promiscuous lifestyle, but the reality is that syphilis is transmitted through more than just sex .
Having syphilis does not necessarily mean having a promiscuous lifestyle.
Syphilis is a typical disease transmitted through contact and blood , and there are four main routes and methods of transmission.
1. Sexual transmission : There is a chance of contracting syphilis during sexual intercourse, and it can also be transmitted through kissing if both partners have broken skin.
2. Blood transmission : This type of transmission is even broader. As long as your blood comes into contact with infected blood, you will be infected. Examples include blood transfusions, sharing razors, syringes, etc.
3. Indirect transmission : If your skin is broken and comes into contact with the syphilis pathogen, you will become infected;
4. Mother-to-child transmission : Like HIV, if the mother carries the virus, it can be transmitted to the fetus during pregnancy.
If a pregnant woman is infected with syphilis, can she still keep the baby? Will it affect the fetus?
In Xiaowen's case, the probability of mother-to-child transmission to the fetus is quite high . Clinically, if a pregnant woman infected with syphilis does not receive treatment, there is a 50% to 80% chance of miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth, or congenital syphilis in the infant . However, standardized treatment can help control the situation and prevent the fetus from becoming infected. Treatment with penicillin can prevent most cases of congenital syphilis.
Currently, Xiaowen is receiving anti-syphilis treatment. If necessary interventions are carried out before 28 weeks of pregnancy, there is a greater than 90% chance that the fetus will not be affected.
Xiao Hai and Xiao Wen's case serves as a wake-up call for young people. Regardless of where they get married, a premarital checkup is extremely beneficial for both partners and their future children . The checkup not only tests for syphilis but also for other hidden diseases, and it's free in Guangdong Province.
In preventing syphilis, besides premarital checkups, it's crucial to maintain good sexual conduct and avoid high-risk sexual behaviors in daily life. Although there are many ways syphilis can be transmitted, over 95% of cases are through sexual contact.
In addition, do not share personal items with strangers, and do not get involved with drugs, because sharing syringes may lead to syphilis and other blood-borne diseases.
In short, establishing a strong awareness of disease prevention and a healthy lifestyle can build a solid defense against disease.
References:
[1] Seven out of ten cases of syphilis are asymptomatic and contagious. Guangzhou Daily. June 14, 2017.
[2] How virulent is syphilis? . Nantong University Affiliated Hospital. 2020.9.20
[3] Devastating! Married after knowing each other for only one month, wife diagnosed with syphilis after five months of pregnancy! Can the baby still be kept? Shenzhen Health Commission, November 7, 2018
