One of the dangers linked to premarital sex, in addition to unexpected pregnancies, are sexually transmitted diseases. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. This disease can be transmitted through sexual intercourse but can also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy or at birth, the result being what is called congenital syphilis. It has often been called “the great imitator” because many of the signs and symptoms of syphilis are indistinguishable from those of other diseases. This disease has four distinct stages: primary, secondary, latent and tertiary. The primary stage is characterized by the formation of a single skin lesion called chancre, which appears at the point of contact approximately ten to ninety days after initial exposure. This cycle is usually small, round, painless, firm and hard due to the intense cellular infiltration accompanied by the accumulation of serum in the connective tissue. The infection can be transmitted through contact with the ulcer, which is teeming with spirochetes. Condoms may not prevent transmission of the infection by contact if the ulcer is located outside the vagina or on the male scrotum. If the ulcer is in the mouth, the infection can be spread from person to person through kissing. The ulcer can heal without treatment within one to five weeks, but if the primary stage is left untreated the disease can recur months later as secondary syphilis. Secondary syphilis occurs between six weeks and six months after the primary infection and can last two to six weeks. This stage occurs when the bacteria that cause syphilis enter the bloodstream from the lesion. It manifests itself with parenchymal, systemic and mucocutaneous symptoms that indicate trepo...... middle of paper ...... and our life and sometimes are the end of it. Works CitedConrad Stöppler, MD, Melissa. "Syphilis in Women: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment: What is Syphilis on MedicineNet." Syphilis in women. Network. November 28, 2011. Grimes, Deanna E. Infectious Diseases. St. Louis, MO: Mosby-Year Book, 1991. Print.Pao, D., B. T. Goh, and J. S. Bingham. "Management problems in syphilis". Drugs 62.10 (2002): 1447-1461. SPORTDisco. Network. November 29, 2011. Facts about sexually transmitted diseases - Syphilis.» September 16, 2010. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 27 November 2011 "Syphilis, symptoms and diagnosis". WebMD: Better information. Better health. March 12, 2010. Web. November 28. 2011. .