{"id":19619,"date":"2024-04-22T12:54:46","date_gmt":"2024-04-22T16:54:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/?p=19619"},"modified":"2024-04-22T12:54:46","modified_gmt":"2024-04-22T16:54:46","slug":"syphilis-explainer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/2024\/04\/22\/syphilis-explainer\/","title":{"rendered":"STI aware is STI safe: A syphilis explainer\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<table class=\"x_mcnTextBlock\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody class=\"x_mcnTextBlockOuter\">\n<tr>\n<td class=\"x_mcnTextBlockInner\" valign=\"top\">\n<table class=\"x_mcnTextContentContainer\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"left\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"x_mcnTextContent\" valign=\"top\">\n<h2 class=\"x_null\" dir=\"ltr\">STI aware is STI safe: A syphilis explainer<\/h2>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<table class=\"x_mcnTextBlock\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody class=\"x_mcnTextBlockOuter\">\n<tr>\n<td class=\"x_mcnTextBlockInner\" valign=\"top\">\n<table class=\"x_mcnTextContentContainer\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"left\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"x_mcnTextContent\" valign=\"top\">\n<div dir=\"ltr\">\n<p>The second week in April is\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/blog\/2024\/04\/17\/national-sti-awareness-week-2024\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"2\">National STI Awareness Week<\/a>. STIs, or sexually transmitted infections, include conditions like chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, and HPV.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">STIs can still feel difficult to talk about in public. They can bring up shame or fear for a lot of people, and there are sometimes misunderstandings or stigma about what STIs are. But when we don\u2019t talk about STIs, we make it harder for family members, neighbors, and ourselves to access the testing and treatment we need to stay safe.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">This National STI Awareness Week, we\u2019re getting up close and personal with an STI that\u2019s on the rise in Virginia: syphilis. Since 2018, Virginia has seen a 32% increase in cases for adults. Even more worrisome, we\u2019ve experienced a drastic increase in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/syphilis\/data-in-virginia\/#con-syph-cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"3\">congenital syphilis<\/a>, which occurs when newborns contract syphilis from their mothers. Richmond and Henrico have seen some of the highest case numbers in the state, with\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/syphilis\/data-in-virginia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"4\">361 total diagnosed infections in 2023<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">\u201cPeople are generally not aware that syphilis\u00a0is a problem in their community,\u201d says RHHD Medical Director Dr. Saritha Gomadam. \u201cThis is a problem in Henrico and Richmond, this is where we all live. We need that collective feeling\u2014this is our problem, and everybody has to fill their role.\u201d Those roles include residents practicing safer sex and learning about screening options; healthcare workers updating their knowledge of screening\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/clinicians\/updated-syphilis-guidelines\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"5\">guidelines<\/a>; and community organizations working together to get the word out.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">At RHHD, preventing and treating STIs is a team effort. We\u2019ll hear from a few of those folks today. Explainer feeling a little long? The most important thing is to remember these key points:<\/p>\n<ul role=\"list\">\n<li role=\"listitem\" data-aria-level=\"1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-listid=\"10\">\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">If you live in Richmond or Henrico and are between the ages of 15-44,\u00a0<strong>healthcare workers should offer you the option to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/syphilis\/risk-and-testing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"6\">test for syphilis<\/a>\u00a0at your regular appointments<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li role=\"listitem\" data-aria-level=\"1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-listid=\"10\">\n<p lang=\"EN-US\"><strong>Syphilis is treatable and curable.<\/strong>\u00a0If a test comes back positive for syphilis, you can begin\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/syphilis\/treatments\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"7\">immediate treatment<\/a>\u00a0with many doctors or with the health department.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li role=\"listitem\" data-aria-level=\"1\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-listid=\"10\">\n<p lang=\"EN-US\"><strong>Without treatment,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/syphilis\/signs-and-symptoms\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"8\">syphilis symptoms<\/a>\u00a0may go away but syphilis bacteria will not.<\/strong>\u00a0Untreated syphilis can result in serious symptoms like\u00a0<strong>blindness, deafness, and dementia<\/strong>. And the longer you\u2019ve had syphilis, the more complicated treatment is.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">Still have questions? Want to know more? Come along with our expert panel for everything you need to know about this pervasive\u2014but curable!\u2014STI.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<table class=\"x_mcnTextBlock\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody class=\"x_mcnTextBlockOuter\">\n<tr>\n<td class=\"x_mcnTextBlockInner\" valign=\"top\">\n<table class=\"x_mcnTextContentContainer\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"left\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"x_mcnTextContent\" valign=\"top\">\n<div><em>Meet John, Bellamy, and Dr. Gomadam!<\/em><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<table class=\"x_mcnImageCardBlock\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody class=\"x_mcnImageCardBlockOuter\">\n<tr>\n<td class=\"x_mcnImageCardBlockInner\" valign=\"top\">\n<table class=\"x_mcnImageCardBottomContent\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"right\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"x_mcnImageCardBottomImageContent\" align=\"left\" valign=\"top\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"x_mcnImage\" src=\"https:\/\/mcusercontent.com\/ca391fd836680b3b7c4edc5ab\/images\/f2e3277b-5a16-3658-fe07-b6d2c58375e8.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"549\" data-imagetype=\"External\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"x_mcnTextContent\" valign=\"top\" width=\"531\">\n<p lang=\"EN-US\"><em>FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>This is John Whitener!<\/strong>\u00a0He is a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/std\/projects\/disease-intervention\/default.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"9\">Disease Intervention Specialist<\/a>. He works with people who have been diagnosed with an STI to provide education and to contact their partners, making sure anyone who has been exposed to an STI can get tested.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\"><strong>This is Bellamy Riley!<\/strong>\u00a0They are a Health Educator. They visit community events to teach people about STIs and sexual health and to encourage people to get tested.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\"><strong>This is Dr. Saritha Gomadam!<\/strong>\u00a0She is RHHD\u2019s Medical Director and an Infectious Disease expert who works with STIs and tuberculosis. She provides treatment and communicates with other healthcare providers about the most up-to-date testing guidelines<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<table class=\"x_mcnTextBlock\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody class=\"x_mcnTextBlockOuter\">\n<tr>\n<td class=\"x_mcnTextBlockInner\" valign=\"top\">\n<table class=\"x_mcnTextContentContainer\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"left\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"x_mcnTextContent\" valign=\"top\">\n<p lang=\"EN-US\"><strong>What is syphilis? \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">JW: Syphilis is a bacteria, and symptoms show up in stages. In the first stage of syphilis, open sores will show up on the type of skin called mucus membrane, wherever the person had contact with someone who had syphilis. Mucus membranes are the skin on our lips, inside our mouths, in our digestive tract, in all of our genitals, external and internal. And who hasn\u2019t had a painful sore on the inside of our mouths at some point in time? This is why we call syphilis\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/asm.org\/Articles\/2019\/June\/Revisiting-the-Great-Imitator,-Part-I-The-Origin-a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"10\">\u201cthe great imitator.\u201d<\/a>\u00a0The symptoms can look very benign\u2014they can look like a popped pimple, an ingrown hair, or a fever blister. Even if you don\u2019t get treatment, those symptoms will eventually go away, but the syphilis isn\u2019t gone.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">Without treatment, syphilis very easily moves into the second stage. These symptoms can include a rash on the palms of the hands and the bottoms of the feet. More and more we see this rash show up on other parts of the body. It can cause patchy hair loss or wart-like lesions. These are mostly painless symptoms, but any unknown skin rash is a good reason to go to a doctor.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">\n<strong>How is syphilis spread? \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">JW: It\u2019s easiest to spread syphilis when sores are open. All the bacteria in this sore, the second it comes into contact with any other mucus membrane, it is going to spread. So it can spread through any kind of sex, including oral sex.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">SG: We also see \u201cvertical transmission\u201d from a mother who has syphilis to her baby; this is\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/std\/syphilis\/stdfact-congenital-syphilis.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"11\">congenital syphilis<\/a>. Nationally, there was 10 times more congenital syphilis in 2022 than in 2012. There are so many complications for a newborn. Pretty much any organ can be involved. They can go deaf or experience blindness\u2014the liver, the bone cartilage, everything can be affected. No newborn should be born with syphilis in this day and era when we have testing, when we have screening, when we have treatment.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">\n<strong>What happens if syphilis isn\u2019t detected and treated? \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">BR: Syphilis can affect your brain, causing blindness, deafness, or dementia. If you don\u2019t get treatment, syphilis doesn\u2019t go away; you just lose all your antibodies that are fighting it.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">SG: We want to treat syphilis as early as possible when found. While the central nervous system involvement can happen at any stage of syphilis, the sooner the diagnosis, the less complicated treatment and course generally tend to be. For a woman in pregnancy there is not a large window to miss weekly shots of penicillin if the treatment is needed weekly for three weeks. For missed doses, we will have to restart series of injections in most cases in pregnancy.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">\n<strong>This infection sounds serious! Why don\u2019t we talk about it more? \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">BR: Most people don\u2019t know that they need to be tested for syphilis. They don\u2019t know that syphilis is a thing that still exists, they don\u2019t know how infectious syphilis is, they don\u2019t know how dangerous or deadly syphilis is.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">JW: Quite frankly, we also have to address historical context. Syphilis is sometimes familiar to people because of the evil, racist\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/tuskegee\/timeline.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"12\">Tuskegee experiments<\/a>, where\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/the-us-once-withheld-syphilis-treatment-from-hundreds-of-black-men-in-the-name-of-science-newly-public-records-are-helping-us-understand-how-it-could-happen-217216\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"13\">doctors deliberately harmed Black men<\/a>\u00a0by injecting them with syphilis and withholding treatment. We\u2019re working within that history and that very real injury. So we have to acknowledge the harm that happened.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">\n<strong>When should someone be tested for syphilis? \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">SG: It\u2019s very important to be familiar with\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/clinicians\/updated-syphilis-guidelines\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"14\">VDH\u2019s new screening guidelines<\/a>\u00a0for syphilis.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/220\/2023\/11\/Virginia-Syphilis-Screening-Guidelines-and-Map-Nov2023.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"15\">Counties are deemed high-risk<\/a>\u00a0if they have primary and secondary syphilis of 4.6 cases per 100,000. Richmond and Henrico both fall in that category. Anyone who lives in these localities and is sexually active\u00a0between the ages of 15 and 44 should all be offered and recommended screening at doctor\u2019s offices and clinics. We also have regular screening for our HIV population, for people\u00a0on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/disease-prevention\/prep-and-npep\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"16\">PrEP<\/a>, and for people who are pregnant.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">BR: Having a documented syphilis testing history is really helpful for people. If you\u2019ve been getting tested every year or every six months and then you test positive, we\u00a0know we don\u2019t have to give you three times the amount of treatment.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">\n<strong>What happens if I test positive for syphilis? \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">SG: Other than getting treated appropriately, another\u00a0important part is making sure partner(s) are getting tested and treated. You can treat a person with syphilis but then they can be infected again by an untreated partner. And that\u2019s where DIS come in and they do a fantastic job of contact tracing, testing, and treatment.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">JW: DIS\u00a0talk to patients in the clinic\u00a0to educate them about the specific infection\u2014how it works, how it spreads. After the education, we try and ask for partners, try and figure out who could benefit from a test. We\u2019re the people who call partners to say, \u201cI wanted to let you know that someone has named you as a contact for syphilis. When can we offer you a free test?\u201d<\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">There\u2019s no judgement on our end. Everyone practices sex differently. We all get tired and we sleep. We all get hungry and we eat. And we all have sex. We as humans shame ourselves for the third one. How we present the information and talk about it should show we\u2019re not sitting here in judgment. The hope is that patients will recognize this is a different conversation. And sometimes we do witness very real healing.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">\n<strong>What does treatment look like? \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">SG: Diagnosing patients to know what stage they\u2019re in will determine [http:\/\/xn--when%20you%20test%20early,%20the%20chance%20is%20youll%20catch%20syphilis%20early%20on,%20so%20youll%20only%20need%20one%20shot%20and%20not%20three%20shots-lf44hlb.%20and%20that%20matters%20from%20a%20patient%20standpoint:%20who%20wants%20to%20get%20three%20shots%20when%20one%20is%20all%20you%20need\/?]the course of treatment.\u00a0For primary and secondary syphilis or early stages without neurological involvement, it\u2019s usually a one-time penicillin shot.\u00a0 For Syphilis that is diagnosed as late latent, the treatment is one penicillin injection weekly for 3 weeks. For Syphilis involving the eye or central nervous system, we treat with intravenous syphilis for 10-14 days. When you test early, the chance is you\u2019ll catch syphilis early on, so you\u2019ll only need one shot and not three shots.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">BR: Syphilis is curable, and treatment can be free. We even set up a process where\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hopepharmacyrva.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"17\">Hope<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/bremorx.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"18\">Bremo<\/a>\u00a0pharmacies can receive federally subsidized medication\u00a0to treat our patients. They have more appointment availability generally speaking, their appointments are quicker, you get in and out faster, they\u2019re a more convenient location for some people, so being able to send people to the pharmacies really does keep people receiving their treatment at the time they need it. I love the pharmacy partnership so much. It\u2019s so collaborative, and everyone\u2019s really on board and active.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">\n<strong>What can I do to protect myself against syphilis? \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">SG: We have to go back to the basics of safer sex. We can\u2019t take that out of the equation. RHHD does offer\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/220\/2024\/02\/DoxyPEP-Factsheet-for-Patients.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"19\">DoxyPEP<\/a>\u00a0now, which helps prevent STIs after unprotected sex within 72 hours, but by no means does it take away from trying to prevent it in the first place by practicing safe practices.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">JW: If someone is on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/hiv\/basics\/prep.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"20\">PrEP<\/a>, that\u2019s great, you\u2019re safe against HIV. But PrEP is a chemical barrier for HIV only, and it will not protect against syphilis or any other infections. Depending on what community you\u2019re a part of, depending on how you practice sex, depending on your relationship status, you might not use a condom.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/condomeffectiveness\/brief.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"21\">Condoms<\/a>\u00a0and testing are important tools when we know infections like syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea will continue to spread.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\">Thankfully, lots of wonderful places will test for syphilis if\u00a0you ask for it. There are so many people who go to their provider and say, \u201cI need an STI check, please make sure I\u2019m safe.\u201d People communicate it in very vague terms all the time. And then they pee in a cup or they do their swabs, and they don\u2019t always get a syphilis test. Make sure you are asking for a syphilis test specifically.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"EN-US\"><strong>Questions? Interested in scheduling a test? Call RHHD at 804-205-3501 or visit our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/stihiv-prevention-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"22\">STI Clinical Services<\/a>\u00a0page. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<table class=\"x_mcnDividerBlock\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody class=\"x_mcnDividerBlockOuter\">\n<tr>\n<td class=\"x_mcnDividerBlockInner\">\n<table class=\"x_mcnDividerContent\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>STI aware is STI safe: A syphilis explainer The second week in April is\u00a0National STI Awareness Week. STIs, or sexually transmitted infections, include conditions like chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, and HPV. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":383,"featured_media":19622,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19619","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"modified_by":null,"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>STI aware is STI safe: A syphilis explainer\u00a0 - Richmond City Health Department<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/2024\/04\/22\/syphilis-explainer\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"STI aware is STI safe: A syphilis explainer\u00a0 - Richmond City Health Department\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"STI aware is STI safe: A syphilis explainer The second week in April is\u00a0National STI Awareness Week. STIs, or sexually transmitted infections, include conditions like chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, and HPV. [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/2024\/04\/22\/syphilis-explainer\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Richmond City Health Department\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-04-22T16:54:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/119\/2024\/04\/STi-team.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1873\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1176\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\\\/richmond-city\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/22\\\/syphilis-explainer\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\\\/richmond-city\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/22\\\/syphilis-explainer\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"\",\"@id\":\"\"},\"headline\":\"STI aware is STI safe: A syphilis explainer\u00a0\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-04-22T16:54:46+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\\\/richmond-city\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/22\\\/syphilis-explainer\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1920,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\\\/richmond-city\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/22\\\/syphilis-explainer\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\\\/content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/119\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/STi-team.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"blog\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\\\/richmond-city\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/22\\\/syphilis-explainer\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\\\/richmond-city\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/22\\\/syphilis-explainer\\\/\",\"name\":\"STI aware is STI safe: A syphilis explainer\u00a0 - Richmond City Health Department\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\\\/richmond-city\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\\\/richmond-city\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/22\\\/syphilis-explainer\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\\\/richmond-city\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/22\\\/syphilis-explainer\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\\\/content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/119\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/STi-team.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-04-22T16:54:46+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\\\/richmond-city\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/22\\\/syphilis-explainer\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\\\/richmond-city\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/22\\\/syphilis-explainer\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\\\/richmond-city\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/22\\\/syphilis-explainer\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\\\/content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/119\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/STi-team.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\\\/content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/119\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/STi-team.png\",\"width\":1873,\"height\":1176,\"caption\":\"Team\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\\\/richmond-city\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/22\\\/syphilis-explainer\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\\\/richmond-city\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"STI aware is STI safe: A syphilis explainer\u00a0\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\\\/richmond-city\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\\\/richmond-city\\\/\",\"name\":\"Richmond City Health Department\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\\\/richmond-city\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\\\/richmond-city\\\/author\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"STI aware is STI safe: A syphilis explainer\u00a0 - Richmond City Health Department","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/2024\/04\/22\/syphilis-explainer\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"STI aware is STI safe: A syphilis explainer\u00a0 - Richmond City Health Department","og_description":"STI aware is STI safe: A syphilis explainer The second week in April is\u00a0National STI Awareness Week. STIs, or sexually transmitted infections, include conditions like chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, and HPV. [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/2024\/04\/22\/syphilis-explainer\/","og_site_name":"Richmond City Health Department","article_published_time":"2024-04-22T16:54:46+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1873,"height":1176,"url":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/119\/2024\/04\/STi-team.png","type":"image\/png"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/2024\/04\/22\/syphilis-explainer\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/2024\/04\/22\/syphilis-explainer\/"},"author":{"name":"","@id":""},"headline":"STI aware is STI safe: A syphilis explainer\u00a0","datePublished":"2024-04-22T16:54:46+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/2024\/04\/22\/syphilis-explainer\/"},"wordCount":1920,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/2024\/04\/22\/syphilis-explainer\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/119\/2024\/04\/STi-team.png","articleSection":["blog"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/2024\/04\/22\/syphilis-explainer\/","url":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/2024\/04\/22\/syphilis-explainer\/","name":"STI aware is STI safe: A syphilis explainer\u00a0 - Richmond City Health Department","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/2024\/04\/22\/syphilis-explainer\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/2024\/04\/22\/syphilis-explainer\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/119\/2024\/04\/STi-team.png","datePublished":"2024-04-22T16:54:46+00:00","author":{"@id":""},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/2024\/04\/22\/syphilis-explainer\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/2024\/04\/22\/syphilis-explainer\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/2024\/04\/22\/syphilis-explainer\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/119\/2024\/04\/STi-team.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/119\/2024\/04\/STi-team.png","width":1873,"height":1176,"caption":"Team"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/2024\/04\/22\/syphilis-explainer\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"STI aware is STI safe: A syphilis explainer\u00a0"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/","name":"Richmond City Health Department","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"","url":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/author\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19619","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/383"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19619"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19619\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19623,"href":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19619\/revisions\/19623"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19622"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19619"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19619"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19619"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}