What two sexually transmitted diseases can cause neurological disorders?

• A. HIV, Tertiary Syphilis
• B. Hepatitis B and C
• C. Gonorrhea and Chlamydia
• D. Herpes Simplex and HPV

Answer: (A)

Neurologic problems can arise from certain sexually transmitted infections when the pathogens reach the nervous system. The two classic culprits are HIV and syphilis in its tertiary stage. HIV can invade the CNS early on and cause a range of neurological issues, from HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders to meningitis, encephalitis, and other CNS or peripheral nerve problems. Tertiary syphilis can involve the brain and spinal cord, leading to neurosyphilis with manifestations such as general paresis (cognitive decline and psychiatric changes) or tabes dorsalis (sensory ataxia and dorsal column dysfunction). The other options are less typical for causing neurological disorders in the usual exam context: hepatitis B and C mainly affect the liver, mucosal infections like gonorrhea and chlamydia don’t classically produce neurological disease, and while herpes simplex can cause encephalitis, the combination most commonly associated with neurologic complications in this STI context is HIV and neurosyphilis.