Lues may sound like the name of an indie rock band. But it doesn't create a party atmosphere: syphilis is hidden behind Lues. Anyone who is infected should not hang their head. Two penicillin injections in the bum and the pathogens are gone.
Some people claim that dogs are man's most loyal companion. This is a mistake. Treponema pallidum is much more affectionate than any four-legged friend. This bacterium feels so at home in the human body that it has never been detected in any other living creature on the planet. Unfortunately, it behaves towards its host like a clique of Ibiza tourists in a hotel: first acting harmless and then tearing the room apart.
How syphilis progresses
Treponema pallidum is the causative agent of syphilis or lues. Anyone who becomes infected develops a nodule at the site of entry after two or three weeks. This does not hurt and is therefore often ignored or - if in the bum - not even noticed. In the second phase, the body defends itself against the bacterium. The consequences can include fever and a skin rash. It does not itch. After that, nothing happens for years. The little creep multiplies and keeps quiet. But then! Lumps all over the body! Destroyed tissue! Deafness! Blindness!
How therapy works
Fortunately, this rarely happens because syphilis is detected early enough. Doctors use good old penicillin for treatment. As a rule, the patient is given two injections in the buttocks a few weeks apart. Then the pathogens are gone. The prerequisite for this is, of course, that the patient has been tested.
More infections than 10 years ago
A few figures from the Robert Koch Institute show just how important this is for gay men in big cities. More than 5,000 people in Germany are currently infected every year, far more than between 2004 and 2010. Four out of five of these people are men who have sex with men. Syphilis is particularly common in the major cities of Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne, especially among 30 to 39-year-olds. This is followed by the under 25 to 29 age group. So much for the widespread opinion that "only 40-year-olds who hang out in shagging parlours have such diseases."
Juicy sex - how to get infected
As far as transmission routes are concerned, the beast is not very picky. The main thing is to have juicy sex. For example, if someone catches the "syph" during a blow job, all it takes is a greedy French kiss on the next date and you can be infected. However, men who fuck without a rubber are particularly at risk. And in a double sense. Unprotected anal sex first makes it easy for syphilis to spread. Syphilis can then open the door to another infection: HIV. This is because the mucous membrane becomes more permeable where the syphilis has penetrated. The body's immune cells migrate to this area to fight the bacteria. However, it is precisely these cells that the virus is already waiting for. So if you are unlucky, you will also catch HIV shortly after syphilis.
So: off to the test
What to do? Be honest with yourself! If you have regular sex dates, you should also get tested regularly. Preferably in combination: When the next HIV test is due, simply get tested for Lues at the same time. Because the earlier the bacterium is detected, the better it is for the body. And for the next sexual partner anyway.
Many test centres where you can have an HIV test also offer tests for other sexually transmitted infections, such as syphilis. At https://www.iwwit.de/safer-sex you will also find a map with test locations
