This pamphlet explains that gonorrhea, often silent but damaging, and syphilis, resurgent in today’s youth, have devastating long-term effects if left untreated, but that both can be cured if treated promptly.

It describes the symptoms of infection, but warns that gonorrhea often produces no symptoms, and the initial painless sore of primary syphilis and the rash on the hands and soles of the feet of secondary syphilis will soon disappear.

It emphasizes that both diseases, if left untreated, can have severe effects later in life. For gonorrhea, those include arthritis, heart valve damage and brain damage. After a long incubation period, syphilis may reappear as tertiary syphilis, causing organ failure, insanity, blindness, heart disease and death. The presence of either disease greatly increases the body's vulnerability to HIV/AIDS.

The pamphlet repeatedly urges anyone who is sexually active to be tested regularly for gonorrhea and syphillis.

It counsels abstaining from sex and sex with only one uninfected partner as preventive measures. It strongly recommends condom use, but warns that condoms may not cover all infected areas.

Readers are referred to In the Know Zone, Fox Pro Media's free STD information Web site, and to the National STD Hotline for further information.