What is syphilis?
Syphilis is a bacterial sexually transmissible infection (STI) which may be passed on through skin-to-skin contact during oral, vaginal or anal sex with a person who has syphilis.
How do I know if I have syphilis?
Not everyone with syphilis has obvious signs of infection, so you may not know you have it unless you have a blood test.
Symptoms may include:
- Primary or initial infection – a sore which is usually round, raised and often painless. This usually occurs in the genital or anal area, but may occur at other sites, including the mouth.
- Secondary syphilis - may involve a rash which usually affects the trunk, palms of hands and soles of the feet.
- There may also be lumps in the genital/anal area, hair loss or swelling of the lymph glands.
- If left untreated, syphilis can cause serious health complications that may affect the heart, brain, eyes and skin.
Syphilis can be diagnosed by a blood test or swab.
How can I get syphilis?
Syphilis is passed on by having penile, anal, vaginal or oral sex with someone who has the infection. You may not see any visible symptoms but may still become infected. Symptoms including sores and rashes are highly infectious. Syphilis can also be transmitted from a pregnant person to their baby.
What is the treatment for syphilis?
The recommended treatment for syphilis is injections of penicillin. There is an alternative for those people with severe penicillin allergy. Do not have any sexual contact for 7 days after you start treatment as you may be at risk of passing syphilis to your sexual partners or becoming re-infected.
This period may be longer if you are treated with a penicillin alternative.
Do sexual partners need treatment?
All sexual partners within the last 3, 6 or 12 months should be tested, depending on how long you have had syphilis. Your doctor/nurse will advise how long this period will be. Sexual partners of those with primary or secondary infection should be treated. To prevent reinfection, you should not have any sexual contact with past sexual partners until they have been tested and/or treated.
What else should I know?
- It is important to follow your doctor/ nurse’s instructions regarding follow up.
- It is important to have repeat blood tests to check that the treatment has worked – they may be recommended at 3, 6 and 12 months after treatment.
- Condoms and lubricant can reduce transmission but cannot completely prevent syphilis.
- Regular testing can detect people with syphilis who don’t have any obvious signs of infection.
- Syphilis during pregnancy can cause problems for the baby like miscarriage, premature birth, still-birth, and death after birth.