Persons with syphilis must notify their sex partners so that they also can be tested and receive treatment if necessary. Any person with signs or symptoms suggestive of syphilis should be tested for syphilis. Also, anyone with an oral, anal, or vaginal sex partner who has been recently diagnosed with syphilis should be tested for syphilis.
Some people should be tested screened for syphilis even if they do not have symptoms or know of a sex partner who has syphilis. Anyone who is sexually active should discuss his or her risk factors with a health care provider and ask whether he or she should be tested for syphilis or other STDs. After appropriate treatment, clinical and serologic response to treatment will be followed. However, even following successful treatment, reinfection can occur. Persons with signs or symptoms that persist or recur or who have a sustained fourfold increase in nontreponemal test titer likely were reinfected or experienced treatment failure.
For further details on the management of persistent syphilis or reinfection, refer to the STI Treatment Guidelines. Because asymptomatic chancres can be present in the vagina, rectum, or mouth, it may not be obvious that a sex partner has syphilis. Unless a person knows that their sex partners have been tested and treated, they may be at risk of being reinfected by an untreated partner.
Correct and consistent use of latex condoms can reduce the risk of syphilis when the infected area or site of potential exposure is protected. However, syphilis transmission can occur with lesions not covered by a latex condom. The surest way to avoid transmission of sexually transmitted infections, 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 not have an infection.
Partner-based interventions include partner notification — a critical component in preventing the spread of syphilis. Sexual partners of patients with syphilis should be considered at risk and provided treatment per the STI Treatment Guidelines. More information is available at www. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HIV Surveillance Report ; Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance, Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines, Alexander, J.
Obstet Gynecol, Discordant results from reverse sequence syphilis screening—five laboratories, United States, Pathela P et al. Clinical Infectious Diseases ; HIV prevention through early detection and treatment of other sexually transmitted diseases—United States. Congenital Syphilis: Preliminary Data. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Minus Related Pages.
Basic Fact Sheet Detailed Version View Images of Symptoms Detailed fact sheets are intended for physicians and individuals with specific questions about sexually transmitted diseases. August 31, Video abstract external icon Syphilis Pocket Guide for Providers pdf icon — A booklet for providers containing need-to-know details on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of syphilis. November 30, The Diagnosis, Management and Prevention of Syphilis: An Update and Review pdf icon external icon — A clinical guidance document for use in the diagnosis and management of syphilis.
March STDs Home Page. Find an STD testing site near you. ZIP Code:. Within a few weeks of the original chancre healing, you may experience a rash that begins on your trunk but eventually covers your entire body — even the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet. This rash is usually not itchy and may be accompanied by wartlike sores in your mouth or genital area.
Some people also experience hair loss, muscle aches, a fever, a sore throat and swollen lymph nodes. These signs and symptoms may disappear within a few weeks or repeatedly come and go for as long as a year. If you aren't treated for syphilis, the disease moves from the secondary stage to the hidden latent stage, when you have no symptoms.
The latent stage can last for years. Signs and symptoms may never return, or the disease may progress to the third tertiary stage. In the late stage, the disease may damage the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, blood vessels, liver, bones and joints. These problems may occur many years after the original, untreated infection. At any stage, syphilis can spread and, among other damage, cause damage to the brain and nervous system and the eye.
Babies born to women who have syphilis can become infected through the placenta or during birth. Most newborns with congenital syphilis have no symptoms, although some experience a rash on the palms of their hands and the soles of their feet. Later signs and symptoms may include deafness, teeth deformities and saddle nose — where the bridge of the nose collapses.
However, babies born with syphilis can also be born too early, may die in the womb before birth or can die after birth. Call your doctor if you or your child experiences any unusual discharge, sore or rash — particularly if it occurs in the groin area. Vivien Williams: Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum.
Stacey Rizza, an infectious diseases specialist at Mayo Clinic, says syphilis affects men and women and can present in various stages. Stacey Rizza, M. Vivien Williams: It may then progress to latent stage syphilis and, finally, the most serious stage: tertiary. Pregnant women are not immune to syphilis.
Congenital syphilis can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth or infant deaths. That's why all pregnant women should be screened. Syphilis is preventable and treatable. As for prevention, Dr. Rizza recommends barrier protection during sex. Rizza: And that's during oral sex, anal sex, vaginal sex — using condoms, dental dams and any other barrier protection.
The cause of syphilis is a bacterium called Treponema pallidum. The most common way syphilis is spread is through contact with an infected person's sore during sexual activity. The bacteria enter the body through minor cuts or abrasions in the skin or mucous membranes.
Syphilis is contagious during its primary and secondary stages, and sometimes in the early latent period. Less commonly, syphilis may spread through direct contact with an active lesion, such as during kissing. It can also be passed from mothers to their babies during pregnancy or childbirth. Syphilis can't be spread by using the same toilet, bathtub, clothing or eating utensils, or from doorknobs, swimming pools or hot tubs. Once cured, syphilis doesn't return on its own.
Do not have sexual intercourse or other sexual contact until you have been treated by a doctor. If you are diagnosed with syphilis, your sex partner s will need to be treated also.
In most areas, public health clinics or health departments are able to diagnose and provide low-cost assessment and treatment of early syphilis and other STIs. Watchful waiting is a wait-and-see approach. It's not a good choice if you think you were exposed to or have syphilis or another STI. Any symptoms or other changes that suggest syphilis or another STI should be checked by a doctor.
Diagnosis of syphilis includes a medical history and a physical exam. Your doctor may ask you questions such as:. The diagnosis of syphilis is usually confirmed with one of several blood tests.
This is especially true if no sores are present. If sores are present, a doctor may look at the fluid from one of the sores with a microscope to see whether syphilis bacteria are present dark-field examination. In the diagnosis of the primary and secondary stages of syphilis, lumbar puncture spinal tap is needed in some cases. Additional testing should be done to find out if other sexually transmitted infections are present, especially:.
The diagnosis of syphilis can be delayed or complicated because its symptoms are very similar to those of many other diseases and are sometimes not recognized. Syphilis has historically been called "the great imitator.
Screening for syphilis is strongly recommended for pregnant women and for people who are at increased risk for the infection.
People at high risk of contracting syphilis include those who:. Preventive Services Task Force strongly recommend that pregnant women be screened for syphilis because of the severe consequences of being pregnant while infected or having a child born with congenital syphilis.
Screening should be done: footnote 6 , footnote 4. Prompt treatment of syphilis is needed to cure the infection, prevent complications, and prevent the spread of the infection to others. Penicillin is the preferred drug for treating syphilis.
Penicillin is the standard therapy for the treatment of neurosyphilis, congenital syphilis , or syphilis acquired or detected during pregnancy. If you are allergic to penicillin, make sure you tell your doctor.
Your doctor will still be able to treat the syphilis but may consult with a specialist on the best antibiotic choice. Self-care can lower your risk for an initial infection of or reinfection with syphilis or other sexually transmitted infections STIs. The treatment of syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections STIs is complex. If taken properly, antibiotic treatment with penicillin will usually cure a syphilis infection.
If syphilis has progressed to the tertiary stage, antibiotics can prevent further complications. But they cannot reverse damage that has already occurred. Prompt antibiotic treatment will decrease complications and prevent the spread of the infection. Exposed sex partners should be treated for syphilis. The chancres in syphilis can make transmission of HIV more likely. So testing for both syphilis and HIV should be done.
In rare cases, the first attempt at treatment does not cure the syphilis infection. Follow-up blood tests are needed to be sure the infection is cured. Some types of syphilis can't be treated by are resistant to certain antibiotics. If your doctor finds that your syphilis is resistant to the drug you are taking, you will be tested so that your doctor can prescribe another antibiotic to cure the infection. Kiley MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology.
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To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. Skip to main content. Health Information Library. Topic Overview What is syphilis? What causes syphilis? They include: Having unprotected sex such as not using condoms or not using them correctly. This risk is high among men who have sex with other men. Having more than one sex partner and living in an area where syphilis is common.
Having a sex partner who has syphilis. Having sex with a partner who has many sex partners. Trading sex for drugs or money. Having HIV. What are the symptoms?
Because syphilis is usually spread when people have sexual contact, chancres are often found in the mouth, the anus, or the genital area. They may also be found wherever the bacteria entered the body.
Secondary stage: A skin rash and other symptoms may show up 2 to 12 weeks after a person is infected. At this stage, it is very easy to spread the infection through contact with the mouth, the anus, the genitals, or any area where there is a skin rash. Latent stage: After the rash clears, a person may have a period with no symptoms. This is often called the "hidden stage. This stage may be as short as 1 year or last from 5 to 20 years.
Often, a woman with latent-stage syphilis doesn't find out that she has the infection until she gives birth to a child with syphilis. Late tertiary stage: If syphilis is not found and treated in the early stages, it can cause other serious health problems.
These can include blindness, problems with the nervous system and the heart, and mental disorders. It can also cause death. How is syphilis diagnosed? How is it treated? How can you prevent syphilis? Cause Syphilis is caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum.
Transmission Transmission of the bacteria usually occurs during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. The syphilis bacteria are passed from person to person through direct contact with: The open sore chancre that appears during the primary stage. Mucous membrane or other sores during the secondary stage and sometimes during the latent stage.
Incubation period An incubation period is the time between exposure to a disease and the first symptom. Contagious period A person with syphilis can easily pass the infection is contagious to physically intimate partners when primary- or secondary-stage sores are present. Symptoms Syphilis develops in four stages, each with a different set of symptoms. Primary stage During the primary stage of syphilis, a sore chancre that is usually painless develops at the site where the bacteria entered the body.
In men, a chancre often appears in the genital area, usually but not always on the penis. These sores are often painless. In women, chancres can develop on the outer genitals or on the inner part of the vagina. A chancre may go unnoticed if it occurs inside the vagina or at the opening to the uterus cervix. The sores are usually painless and are not easily seen.
Swelling of the lymph nodes may occur near the area of the chancre. A chancre may also occur in an area of the body other than the genitals. The chancre usually lasts for 3 to 6 weeks, heals without treatment, and may leave a thin scar.
But even though the chancre has healed, syphilis is still present and a person can still pass the infection to others. Secondary stage Secondary syphilis is characterized by a rash that appears 2 to 12 weeks after the chancre develops and sometimes before it heals. The rash usually consists of reddish brown, small, solid, flat or raised skin sores that are less than 2 cm 0. But the rash may look like other more common skin problems. Small, open sores may be present on mucous membranes.
The sores may contain pus. Or moist sores that look like warts called condyloma lata may be present. In dark-skinned people, the sores may be a lighter color than the surrounding skin.
When syphilis has spread throughout the body, the person may have: A fever. A sore throat. A vague feeling of weakness or discomfort throughout the body. Weight loss. Patchy hair loss, especially in the eyebrows, eyelashes, and scalp hair. Swelling of the lymph nodes. Nervous system symptoms of secondary syphilis, which can include neck stiffness, headaches, irritability, paralysis, unequal reflexes, and irregular pupils.
Latent hidden stage If untreated, an infected person will progress to the latent hidden stage of syphilis. Relapses Some people with syphilis have a relapse of the infection during its latent stage.
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