his is a tropical skin disease; Yaws is not transmitted sexually although the bacterium is a sub group of the syphilis bacteria. It is transmitted by contact with infected skin. It primarily affects children between the ages of 2 and 5 who live in very poor conditions with no access to medical care, as they are most vulnerable but it does affect adults. Symptoms include a single red lumpy growth –the mother Yaw on the leg or buttock which develops a thin yellow crust, swollen glands, joint pains, painful lumps on the soles of the feet and in late stages of the disease disfigurement of the face.