Health officials in Pierce County are hoping a 'Strange' new billboard campaign will help raise awareness about syphilis.
Health officials in Pierce County are hoping a "Strange" new billboard campaign will help raise awareness about syphilis. The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department is trying to take the mystery out of getting treatment for the STD by playing off a popular sci-fi series. The movie and TV-inspired campaign started last summer, but the "Stranger Things" inspired billboard is just the latest iteration of it.
Aguilar says the disease typically starts with a non-painful bump or sore, then it moves on to a rash and hair loss. "This is patchy hair loss that someone might develop during the secondary stage of syphilis," said Aguilar, showing off pictures of what the rashes look like and related hair loss. Untreated, syphilis can get into the spinal column, causing problems with vision and hearing. "The numbers have increased dramatically in the past few years," said Aguilar.