Syphilis And The Pope
Syphilis is a common and well known sexually transmitted disease
(STD). Sexual intercoarse is the most common of 3 possible ways
to contract it. If it is not transmitted sexually, it is
possible, but rare, to get an infection through direct contact.
Your body will also accept the disease from your birth mother.
This is called congenital syphilis.
Many historic figures have suffered from syphilis, including
Pope Alexander VI, Christopher Columbus, King Henry VIII and
five of his wives, Francis I of France, Ivan the Terrible, Queen
Elizabeth I, King Edward VI, Napoleon I of France, Edgar Allan
Poe, Charles Darwin, Abraham Lincoln, Vladimir Lenin, Joseph
Stalin, Adolf Hitler, and Al Capone. As you can see, syphilis
dates a long way back.
Known to many as "Syphilis - The Great Imitator", syphilis is
a very difficult disease to diagnose. It is very often confused
with other sexual diseases. There is a reported 35,000 cases of
syphilis each year, 60% being male. Sadly, syphilis can take the
life of its victims if it is left untreated. it can also result
in damage to the heart, brain, and nerves. To treat the STD,
there are two options; daily pills (this is the least effective
method) or penicillin. For treatment, a half dose of penicillin
is injected into each buttock. This is extremely painful, so
procaine is added for some relief.
Syphilis can be atrocious or mild, but either way, you do not
want it. If you are uncertain, get checked anyways, it could be
the difference between life and death.