Special Medical Tests

Treponema pallidum

• Primary syphilis (first stage):

A round, painless, usually hard sore (chancre) that appears on the genitals, anus, or other sites, usually lasting about 21 days.
Chancre may go unnoticed and heal within 3 to 10 days. If left untreated, it will progress to stage two.

• Secondary syphilis:

It involves the development of a non-itchy rash, usually on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. White or gray lesions appear in hot and humid areas such as the labia or anus.

• Latent syphilis:

There are usually no symptoms.
If left untreated, over many years it will progress to the tertiary and final stage of syphilis (stage three).
Tertiary syphilis can cause brain and cardiovascular diseases.

Suggested treatments:
Early stages of syphilis should be treated with penicillin injections.

Penicillin is the first-line drug to treat syphilis and is the only treatment recommended by WHO for pregnant women with syphilis. As a second-line treatment option, doctors may also treat with the antibiotic drugs doxycycline, ceftriaxone, or azithromycin.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV)
Herpes simplex virus (HSV) can be roughly divided into two categories: herpes type 1 and herpes type 2.

Herpes type 1 (HSV-1) generally causes infections in the upper body, such as the mouth, lips, nose, chin, etc. Herpes virus type 1 is spread primarily through mouth-to-mouth contact, causing infection in and around the mouth (oral herpes).

However, herpes simplex virus type 1 can also be transmitted to the genital area through mouth-to-genital contact, causing genital herpes, while herpes simplex virus type 2 is almost exclusively transmitted through sexual intercourse, causing infections in the genital or anal area.

Suggested treatments:
Oral medications Acyclovir, Famciclovir, Valacyclovir

Chlamydia
Chlamydia is a bacterial infection caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. Common symptoms in female patients are abnormal vaginal discharge and pain during urination. Common symptoms in male patients are discharge from the penis and pain during urination.

Suggested treatments:
Uncomplicated chlamydia infections are treated with antibiotic such as azithromycin or doxycycline.

Gonorrhea
Gonorrhea is caused by the bacterium  Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Common symptoms in male patients are:

• Cloudy, milky or yellow-green pus coming out of the urethra
• Burning pain when urinating

Common symptoms in female patients are:

• Yellow odorous discharge from vagina
  
• Burning pain when urinating
• Pain during sex
  

Suggested treatments:
Injection or oral antibiotics are the preferred treatment for gonorrhea. In the past, the most common injection drugs were penicillin or  Quinolones  . If the patient is allergic to them, cephalosporin can be used instead, and oral tetracycline can be used also.

Trichomonas vaginalis
Trichomonas vaginalis is a single-celled parasite that causes vaginal itching and vaginal discharge in women. Most men have no symptoms, but a few may feel tingling when urinating and gray-yellow pus flowing out of the urethral opening.

Suggested treatments:
1. Topical medication: Metronidazole vaginal suppositories and ointments.
2. Systemic medication: oral Metronidazole.

Candida
Candida is a type of mold, and Candida albicans is the most common vaginitis in women.

• Cheese-like, tofu-like discharge
• The discharge is thick but odorless
• Severe itching of lower body
• Swelling and sensitivity in the vagina
• Vaginal redness and pain
• Pain during intercourse
• Burning sensation when urinating
  

Suggested treatments:
Clotrimazole vaginal suppository