At this stage common symptoms include:. Syphilis will then move into a stage where you will experience no symptoms, even though you remain infected. You can still pass it on during the first year of this stage. However, after a couple of years, you can't pass the infection to others, even though you remain infected. The latent stage can continue for many years even decades after you first become infected. Without treatment, there is a risk that latent syphilis will move on to the most dangerous stage — tertiary syphilis.
The symptoms of tertiary syphilis can begin years or even decades after initial infection. The symptoms of tertiary syphilis will depend on what part of the body the infection spreads to. For example, it may affect the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, bones, skin or blood vessels, potentially causing any of the following symptoms:.
If you think you may have syphilis, you should make an appointment with your GP or local sexual health services. The only reliable way to tell if you have syphilis or not, is to have a blood test. This is usually sent to the lab, however in some sexual health services a same day test can be done if you have symptoms. In the very early stage of the infection, syphilis in an ulcer can be seen if a swab is taken from the ulcer and looked at under a microscope or sent to the laboratory for syphilis detection.
These tests are only available in some sexual health services. Early syphilis infections can be easily treated with antibiotics usually penicillin , even during pregnancy.
In late stage syphilis infections, treatment at any time can stop further illness and cure the infection itself, though it does not repair any damaged organs. Treatment is usually given by injection and may involve one or more doses, depending on the stage of the infection.
In some cases tablet treatment may be offered. Once the treatment has finished, further blood tests are carried out to make sure the infection has gone. These tests may be required at intervals for up to a year. This will stop you from infecting your partner if they're clear, and stop you being re-infected if they also have syphilis.
Your partner should also get tested for syphilis. It can be hard to spot in it's early stages and they might not realise they have it.
This is known as congenital syphilis. Congenital syphilis can be life-threatening. Babies born with congenital syphilis can also have the following:. This can cause damage to their:.
People with syphilis have a significantly increased chance of contracting HIV. The sores the disease cause make it easier for HIV to enter the body. If you have HIV, talk to your doctor about how to recognize syphilis symptoms. The first stage of syphilis can easily go undetected. The symptoms in the second stage are also common symptoms of other illnesses. This means that if any of the following applies to you, consider getting tested for syphilis.
Get tested if you:. Make sure to finish the full course of antibiotics, even if symptoms disappear. Consider getting tested for HIV as well. People who have tested positive for syphilis should notify all of their recent sexual partners so that they can also get tested and receive treatment.
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Read on to find out how sex can boost your immune system, increase your life expectancy, help you sleep, and more…. Practicing safe sex is crucial to the prevention of sexually transmitted infections. Learn more. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Rheumatoid Arthritis. Syphilis Medically reviewed by Suzanne Falck, M. Symptoms by stage Picture Diagnosis Treatment Prevention Complications Testing We include products we think are useful for our readers.
What is syphilis? Stages of syphilis infection. Call a sexual health clinic if you need help or advice. Only go to a clinic if you've been told to. Find sexual health clinic contact details. You should avoid any kind of sexual activity or close sexual contact with another person until at least 2 weeks after your treatment finishes.
This usually happens during vaginal, anal or oral sex, or by sharing sex toys with someone who's infected. Anyone who's sexually active is potentially at risk. It may be possible to catch syphilis if you inject yourself with drugs and you share needles with somebody who's infected, or through blood transfusions , but this is very rare in the UK as all blood donations are tested for syphilis. Syphilis cannot be spread by using the same toilet, clothing, cutlery or bathroom as an infected person.
Find out more about syphilis in pregnancy. Syphilis cannot always be prevented, but if you're sexually active you can reduce your risk by practising safer sex:.
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