What is Syphilis?

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. It has often been called "the great imitator" because so many of the signs and symptoms are indistinguishable from those of other diseases.

What are the statistics for Syphilis?

In the United States, health officials reported over 36,000 cases of syphilis in 2006, including 9,756 cases of primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis. The incidence of P&S syphilis was highest in women 20 to 24 years of age and in men 35 to 39 years of age.

How is Syphilis transmitted?

Syphilis is passed from person to person through direct contact with a syphilis sore. Sores occur mainly on the external genitals, vagina, anus, or in the rectum. Sores also can occur on the lips and in the mouth. Transmission of the organism occurs during vaginal, anal, or oral sex.

Pregnant women with the disease can pass it to the babies they are carrying.

Syphilis cannot be spread through contact with toilet seats, doorknobs, swimming pools, hot tubs, bathtubs, shared clothing, or eating utensils.

hat are the symptoms for Syphilis?

Many people infected with syphilis do not have any symptoms for years, yet remain at risk for late complications if they are not treated. Although transmission occurs from persons with sores who are in the primary or secondary stage, many of these sores are unrecognized. Thus, transmission may occur from persons who are unaware of their infection.

Primary Stage

The primary stage of syphilis is usually marked by the appearance of a single sore (called a chancre), but there may be multiple sores.The time between infection with syphilis and the start of the first symptom can range from 10 to 90 days (average 21 days). The chancre is usually firm, round, small, and painless. It appears at the spot where syphilis entered the body. The chancre lasts 3 to 6 weeks, and it heals without treatment. However, if adequate treatment is not administered, the infection progresses to the secondary stage.

Secondary Stage

Skin rash and mucous membrane lesions characterize the secondary stage. This stage typically starts with the development of a rash on one or more areas of the body. The rash usually does not cause itching. Rashes associated with secondary syphilis can appear as the chancre is healing or several weeks after the chancre has healed. The characteristic rash of secondary syphilis may appear as rough, red, or reddish brown spots both on the palms of the hands and the bottoms of the feet. However, rashes with a different appearance may occur on other parts of the body, sometimes resembling rashes caused by other diseases. Sometimes rashes associated with secondary syphilis are so faint that they are not noticed. In addition to rashes, symptoms of secondary syphilis may include fever, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, patchy hair loss, headaches, weight loss, muscle aches, and fatigue. The signs and symptoms of secondary syphilis will resolve with or without treatment, but without treatment, the infection will progress to the latent and possibly late stages of disease.

Late and Latent Stages

The latent (hidden) stage of syphilis begins when primary and secondary symptoms disappear. Without treatment, the infected person will continue to have syphilis even though there are no signs or symptoms; infection remains in the body. This latent stage can last for years. The late stages of syphilis can develop in about 15% of people who have not been treated for syphilis, and can appear 10 - 20 years after infection was first acquired. In the late stages of syphilis, the disease may subsequently damage the internal organs, including the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, blood vessels, liver, bones, and joints. Signs and symptoms of the late stage of syphilis include difficulty coordinating muscle movements, paralysis, numbness, gradual blindness, and dementia. This damage may be serious enough to cause death.

Can you get tested for Syphilis?

Yes, there are various ways to be tested for Syphilis. Some health care providers can diagnose Syphilis by examining material from a chancre (infectious sore) using a special microscope called a “dark-field microscope.” If Syphilis bacteria are present in the sore, they will show up when observed through this microscope.

There are also blood tests for Syphilis. Shortly after infection occurs, the body produces Syphilis antibodies that can be detected by an accurate, safe, and inexpensive blood test. It is important to note, a low level of antibodies will likely stay in the blood for months or years even after the disease has been successfully treated.

getSTDtested.com offers a uses a blood sample test for Syphilis, which you can test for at any of our over 2,000 local medical centers across the US.

Should pregnant women get tested for Syphilis?

As untreated Syphilis in a pregnant woman can infect and possibly kill her developing baby, every pregnant woman should have her blood tested for syphilis.

Is there a cure/treatment for Syphilis?

Yes, Syphilis is easy curable in its early stages. A single intramuscular injection of penicillin, an antibiotic, will cure a person who has had syphilis for less than a year. Additional doses are needed to treat someone who has had syphilis for longer than a year. For those who are allergic to penicillin, other antibiotics are available to treat syphilis. Treatment will kill the syphilis bacterium and prevent further damage, but it will not repair damage already done.

There are currently no at-home remedies or over-the-counter drugs that will cure syphilis. Because effective antibiotic treatment is available, it is important that persons be screened for syphilis on an on-going basis if their sexual behaviors put them at risk for STDs.

Persons who receive Syphilis treatment must abstain from sexual contact with new partners until the Syphilis sores are completely healed. Persons with Syphilis should notify their sex partners so that they also can be tested and receive treatment if necessary.

If I already had Syphilis, can I get it again?

Having Syphilis once does not protect a person from ever getting it again. Following successful treatment, people can still be susceptible to re-infection. Only laboratory tests can confirm whether someone has Syphilis. Because Syphilis sores can be hidden in the vagina, rectum, or mouth, it may not be obvious that a sex partner has been infected.

How can I prevent Syphilis from happening to me?

The surest way to avoid transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, including Syphilis, is to abstain from sexual contact or to be in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested and is known to be uninfected.

Avoiding alcohol and drug use may also help prevent transmission of Syphilis because these activities may lead to risky sexual behavior. It is important that sex partners talk to each other about their HIV status and history of other STDs so that preventive action can be taken.

Genital ulcer diseases, like syphilis, can occur in both male and female genital areas that are covered or protected by a latex condom, as well as in areas that are not covered. Correct and consistent use of latex condoms can reduce the risk of syphilis, as well as genital herpes and chancroid, only when the infected area or site of potential exposure is protected.

Condoms lubricated with spermicides (especially Nonoxynol-9 or N-9) are no more effective than other lubricated condoms in protecting against the transmission of STDs. Use of condoms lubricated with N-9 is not recommended for STD/HIV prevention.

Transmission of an STD, including syphilis cannot be prevented by washing the genitals, urinating, and/or douching after sex. Any unusual discharge, sore, or rash, particularly in the groin area, should be a signal to refrain from having sex and to see a doctor immediately.