Syphilis
What is syphilis?
Syphilis is a STD caused by a spirochete (a very small organism). It can affect the entire body.
Who gets syphilis?
Anyone having unprotected sex with an infected person can get syphilis. Having more than one sexual partner increases your risk.
How is syphilis spread?
Syphilis is passed from person to person through direct contact with the syphilis sore, lesion, or moist rash. It is usually passed through sexual contact, including vaginal, anal, and oral sex. It can also be passed by kissing, hand contact, or other close personal contact. Pregnant women with syphilis can pass it on to their babies before birth.
What are the symptoms of syphilis?
You may have syphilis and not have any symptoms, and still be able to pass it on to others. Early symptoms are very similar to those of many other diseases. Syphilis has 4 stages of symptoms- primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary.
Stage 1- Primary: A painless sore (called a chancre- "shan-ker") may show up at the area where the germ first entered the body, usually on the vagina, anus, mouth, lips, or hand. It is firm and round and usually appears anywhere from 9 to 90 days (average 21 days) after exposure. Sores on the vagina may not be noticed and can disappear on their own within 1-5 weeks. However, you still carry the germ and can pass it on.
Stage 2- Secondary: You may have flu-like symptoms 3 weeks to 6 months after infection. At this time, you may also get one or more rashes (usually brown sores about the size of a penny) on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, in the groin area, and all over the body. Bacteria live in these sores, so any physical contact (sexual and nonsexual) with the sores can spread the infection. The second stage can also include fever, headache, sore throat, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, patchy hair loss, muscle aches, mucous spots or sores in the mouth, tiredness, and lumps or warts in warm, moist areas. The rashes usually heal within 2-6 weeks and go away without treatment, but you still carry the germ and can pass it on.
Stage 3- Latent: If you don't treat syphilis, the symptoms will disappear but the germ is still in your body. You should treat syphilis before you reach this stage, because you run the risk of getting tertiary, or late, syphilis.
Stage 4- Tertiary: A few people develop tertiary, or late, syphilis. This is when the bacteria damages the heart, eyes, brain, nervous system, bones, joints, or almost any other part of the body. This stage can last for years, or even for decades. Tertiary syphilis can cause mental illness, blindness, heart disease, paralysis, brain damage, or death.
How is syphilis diagnosed?
Syphilis is diagnosed by a physical exam, studying under a microscope a sample of the fluid taken from a sore, and a blood test.
How is syphilis treated?
Syphilis is usually treated with penicillin, but other antibiotics can be used for patients allergic to penicillin. Some people with early stage syphilis may get a mild fever, headache, or swelling of sores after treatment. This is not usually serious. Your health care provider will need to do several blood tests on you for at least a year after treatment to make sure the treatment is working. You need to treat syphilis early, because damage caused by the disease cannot be undone. Also, syphilis increases the chances of spreading or getting HIV.
How can I prevent spreading syphilis?
You should stop having sex right away. Don't have sexual contact even with a condom, or any direct contact, until you have finished treatment and your health care provider says you are cured. If you find out you have syphilis, you need to tell your sex partner(s), who should get tested and treated if needed.
How can I avoid getting syphilis?
The fewer sex partners you have, the less chance you have of getting syphilis. If you have sex, make sure you use a latex condom (polyurethane if you are allergic to latex). However, using condoms when sores are present does not protect against the disease. The condom may not cover sores on the body that are able to pass on bacteria and viruses.
Updated 8/13/2005
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