Syphilis is a bacterial infection that can be treated with antibiotics. The symptoms are often mild and it can be hard to detect. It can take 3 weeks or more for the symptoms of syphilis to appear after you’re infected.
Some people infected with syphilis show no symptoms (it is only picked up on a blood test). Of those who do get symptoms, the most common things are:
- ulcers (sores) on the genitals or mouth;
- skin rashes, particularly on the palms of the hand and soles of the feet;
- swollen lymph nodes (glands).
The most common way of getting syphilis is by having unprotected sex (vaginal, anal or oral sex without a condom) with someone who’s infected.
It’s also possible for syphilis to be passed on:
- to an unborn baby during pregnancy (congenital syphilis);
- by injecting drugs with a needle that’s been used by an infected person;
- during a blood or organ transplant (this is rare as all blood and organ donations in the UK are checked for syphilis).
If it’s not treated, it can cause serious and potentially life-threatening problems.
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Testing
Syphilis will not show up in tests immediately. It can take up to 12 weeks after infection for it to show in test results.
To test for syphilis, you’ll need to give a blood sample. If you do the test at a clinic, they might also check your body and genitals for signs of infection.
Getting tested | Sexual Health NI (hscni.net)
Syphilis testing is offered during pregnancy as part of routine antenatal screening.
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Treatment
Syphilis can be treated with antibiotics.
This is usually given as an injection, or you can take tablets or capsules. When treated early, 90-100% of syphilis cases can be cured by a single injection of penicillin.
Some people will need more than one dose, for example, if they’ve had the infection for more than 2 years.
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Complications
If left untreated, syphilis can lead to serious health problems, for example, damage to the heart, brain and nervous system.
Some of these problems may not appear for many years after being infected with syphilis. It can still be treated at this stage. But it may not be possible to reverse any damage that’s been done.