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STD
Advice Column
Syphilis and Chlamydia
Comparison
I was informed that Chlamydia
and Syphilis are a similar disease. According
to my research, this information does not connect
the two of them together. Can you list the similarities
and differences?
~
Commonalities
Dear Commonalities,
It's easy for some people to confuse one STD for another because some STDs
share similar symptoms even though the treatment and disease itself is different.
The CDC has noted that Syphilis is often called “the great imitator” because
so many of the signs and symptoms are indistinguishable from those of other
diseases. However, there are not a lot of similarities specifically between
Syphilis and Chlamydia.
Your question only asks for a comparison of Syphilis
symptoms to that of Chlamydia. Our chart below lists
each disease followed by symptoms that match (by listing
the symptom under both) and those that don't (by one
having the symptom and the other having a blank position.
Keep in mind that many people with Chlamydia have no
symptoms and therefore don't know they are infected.
Also, Syphilis often may not initially show any symptoms.
This is why it is vital to have an
STD test done. In the
chart
below
(w) =
women
and
(m)
=
men. Remember that having an STD doesn't mean you'll
display all symptoms. Just one or two (or even no symptoms)
can still indicate you have an STD.
| Chlamydia |
Syphilis |
| Many Have No Symptoms |
Many Have No Symptoms |
| abnormal vaginal discharge (w) |
|
| |
chancre (single sore) |
| "burning" when urinating (w) |
|
| |
skin rash |
| lower abdominal pain (w) |
|
| |
mucous membrane lesions |
| pain during intercourse (w) |
|
| bleeding between periods (w) |
|
| "burning" when urinating (m) |
|
| discharge from penis (m) |
|
| itching on top of penis (m) |
|
| burning on top of penis (m) |
|
| testicle pain (m - rare) |
|
| |
late stage of syphilis include difficulty coordinating
muscle movements, paralysis, numbness, gradual
blindness, and dementia. This damage may be serious
enough to cause death. |
| |
|
| STD Caused By |
STD Caused By |
| |
the bacterium Treponema pallidum |
| the bacterium, Chlamydia trachomatis |
|
| |
|
| How Common? |
How Common? |
| 3 million infections a year |
|
| |
varies - usually around 30,000 + new infections |
Syphilis and Syphilis symptoms develop in stages.
Read more about it here.
If you have a question for the STD Advice column, simply put your question in the anonymous form below and click Submit. Once you click Submit, your question will be anonymously emailed to us. While we can't answer or publish all questions, we do try to questions within a one week period of submission. Check back to see if yours is answered.
Only a physician can properly diagnose whether or
not you have an STD. Thus it is important that you
get an STD test done if you have a concern. None of the
advice given in this column is a substitute for physician
advice.
If you think you may have a sexually transmitted
disease, you should see a physician immediately to
be properly diagnosed and treated. You should not try
to diagnose or treat symptoms on your own.
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