Syphilis is a sexually transmitted bacterial infection.
(last reviewed February 3, 2008)
How serious is syphilis?
If untreated, syphilis can lead to severe brain, nerve and tissue damage. It is very important to treat syphilis as soon as it is recognized.
(last reviewed February 3, 2008)
How is Syphilis transmitted?
The bacteria that cause syphilis enter the body through an opening such as the vagina, mouth, or rectum. They can also enter through a cut or break in the skin.
Painless sores usually form near the genitals during the early stages of the disease. If someone touches the sore on an infected person, some of the bacteria may rub off onto your body. If the bacteria then get near any moist area of your body (such as the vagina, mouth, or rectum) or on any cuts or breaks in your skin, you may get syphilis. Once inside the body, the bacteria spread quickly through the bloodstream.
Sometimes a baby is born with syphilis if the mother has the disease during pregnancy.
(last reviewed February 3, 2008)
What are the symptoms of syphilis?
The symptoms of syphilis occur in several stages. We will divide these into the stages as follows, the first stage, second stage, latent stage and the tertiary stage.
First Stage:
During the first stage, smooth, red, painless sores called chancres appear. People usually get chancres near the genitals, but they can form anywhere on the body. Women may not know they have a chancre if it is inside the vagina. Chancres on the penis can usually be seen. These painless sores may appear 10 days to 3 months after contact with an infected person. The sores last 3 to 6 weeks.
Second Stage:
If the person infected does not get treatment in the first stage, the disease will develop into the second stage. This second stage is called secondary syphilis. It begins 6 to 12 weeks after contact with an infected person and may last for weeks to as long as a year. Symptoms during the second stage of syphilis can include:
a pink or red, bumpy, scaling skin rash that does not itch and may come and go (you can easily infect other people with this rash, which may include spots on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet)
flu symptoms such as fever, body aches, sore throat, headaches, tiredness, and loss of appetite
hair loss in clumps causing patchy baldness
gray or pink patches of fatty tissue in damp areas of the body (also highly infectious)
wartlike growths in the anal area.
Latent Period:
Often the second stage of syphilis is followed by a latent period. During latent syphilis you have no symptoms even though you have not been treated for the disease. This latent period may last a few years or it may last a lifetime.
Tertiary Syphilis (third stage):
One in three people who have latent syphilis develop the third stage of syphilis. This third stage is called tertiary syphilis and starts anywhere from 2 to 30 or more years after the second stage. During this stage, the disease can affect the brain, the aorta (the blood vessel that leads from the heart), and the heart. This can lead to severe heart disease, brain damage, paralysis, and death.
(last reviewed February 3, 2008)
How is syphilis diagnosed?
Your doctor will first take a careful history, especially a sexual history and then do a physical exam He/she will look for chancres on the skin, including the vagina, cervix, penis, and anal area. If you have sores, scrapings from the sores will be examined under a microscope to look for bacteria. Your doctor will also do blood tests to confirm the infection.
(last reviewed February 3, 2008)
How is syphilis treated?
Syphilis is usually treated with penicillin. If you are allergic to penicillin, your doctor may prescribe other antibiotics. Some of the other antibiotics may not be as effective as penicillin at killing the syphilis, so you may need to be monitored fro response to the other antibiotics. Penicillin can be given orally or as an injection.
Cases of syphilis are required by law to be reported to the local health department. You must tell the proper authorities about all the people with whom you have had sexual contact, so the public can be protected against syphilis.
(last reviewed February 3, 2008)
How can I protect myself against getting syphilis?
You can reduce your risk of getting syphilis if you:
Use condoms during foreplay and every time you have vaginal, oral, or anal intercourse.
Have just 1 sexual partner who is not sexually active with anyone else.
Make sure your partner has been tested for syphilis and other sexually transmitted diseases.
(last reviewed February 3, 2008)
When do I need to be treated for syphilis?
You need to be traeted for syphilis if you have any one of the following:
You have tested positive for syphilis
You have had sex with someone who has had syphilis, even if you have no symptoms.
You have been sexually assaulted and are at risk for being infected
