Syphilis is a bacterial infection, caused by the bacteria Treponema pallidum. It is passed on when a person comes in contact with a syphilitic sore, known as a chancre—typically during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Syphilis can also be passed on during pregnancy or childbirth from a pregnant person to their baby.
Syphilis can be treated more easily if it is caught early. But undiagnosed and untreated syphilis can be dangerous. It can cause irreversible health damage and even death.
Sexually
Non-sexually
Syphilis often does not cause any symptoms at all and is commonly only picked up from a blood test. If a person does develop symptoms these depend on the stage, as there are several stages of syphilitic infection. In between these stages the person remains symptom free.
The first symptom of syphilis is a painless sore (chancre) that shows up between 10-90 days after exposure. This is called primary syphilis. The sore can appear on the genitals (penis, scrotum, vulva), or in places harder to find (anus, inside of the vagina).
If left untreated, syphilis can move to the secondary stage. This stage of syphilis can develop 17 days to 6 1/2 months after infection and symptoms can last from 2 to 6 weeks. Symptoms in this stage include a rough, reddish-brown rash or spots on the palms of hands, soles of feet, or rashes on other parts of the body, including the neck, head and torso. Other symptoms could include headache, fever, and generally not feeling well.
The symptoms will go away on their own, but the disease will still be present if untreated. It will then enter into a latent stage, which has no signs or symptoms. The latent stage can last up to 20 years.
Most people with untreated syphilis do not develop tertiary syphilis. Tertiary syphilis, if it develops, is the most serious stage of syphilis and can occur many years after infection (10-30 yrs.). It can affect many different organ systems: heart and blood vessels, bones, skin, brain, and nervous system (paralysis, dementia) and the results may be life threatening.
Untreated syphilis can result in damage to organs, including the brain, eyes, heart, bones and joints. The damage caused by untreated syphilis can even lead to death.
Syphilis during pregnancy is a serious issue. It can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, and even infant death. Babies born with syphilis can face lifelong medical issues. This is why testing for syphilis is recommended for all pregnant patients, so infections can be found and treated.
As mentioned above, testing for syphilis is recommended for all pregnant patients. Since syphilis is more common in men who have sex with men, testing is recommended at least annually.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends syphilis testing for people who have a history of incarceration or transactional sex work as well as for people who have HIV.
Syphilis is curable with antibiotics. However, treatment might not undo any damage the infection can cause is undetected and untreated for a long time. If you test positive, it is important to follow up with a health care provider to start treatment.
To help prevent syphilis:
