Doctor, Ex-Reality Star Faith Adewale Warns: Untreated STIs Can Trigger Mental Illness

|By Queen Banigo

Faith Adewale, a medical doctor and former reality television star, has sparked fresh conversations around mental health after asserting that untreated sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can lead to mental illness.

Adewale made the claim while speaking on a recent episode of The Clarity Zone podcast, co-hosted by media personality Chinedu Ani Emmanuel, popularly known as Nedu Wazobia.

According to him, neurosyphilis — the third and most severe stage of syphilis — directly affects the brain and can alter cognitive function, emotional stability and thought processes if left untreated.

He explained that several mental health cases may not be purely psychiatric but are linked to prolonged, unmanaged STIs that gradually damage the nervous system.

“Do you know STIs can cause mental problems? There is something called neurosyphilis, the third stage of syphilis,” Adewale said during the discussion. “A lot of people having mental health problems, some of them have STIs. Neurosyphilis affects your brain. It affects the way you process things.”

The medical professional stressed that early testing, diagnosis and treatment of STIs remain critical, noting that delayed medical intervention can result in long-term neurological and psychological complications.

His comments have since generated debate online, with many calling for increased public health awareness around the hidden neurological consequences of untreated sexually transmitted infections.