Is leprosy a sexually transmitted disease?
No, leprosy is not a sexually transmitted illness. One does not catch the disease by having sex with someone with leprosy. How prevalent is leprosy? It is estimated that there are about 20 million people around the world still with leprosy today. The current prevalence is 1 case per 10,000 population, which is statistically low, but the goal is still to eliminate leprosy totally from earth. If left untreated, leprosy can cause severe body tissue damage, like losing fingers and toes, blindness and other forms of disfigurement. The overall goal set by the World Health Organization Hanoi Declaration in 1991 (a 90% decrease of leprosy as an initial objective for the ultimate global eradication of the disease) has been met. A lot still has to be done by the world community to totally rid our planet of leprosy. What are the symptoms and signs of leprosy? Since Hansen’s Disease affects the skin and nerves, the first sign may be the discovery that the fingers holding a lighted cigarettes have
