What is syphilis?
Syphilis is a complex bacterial STI that occurs in 4 stages, each presenting with different symptoms.
Syphilis can be cured with antibiotics but may cause serious health problems if you don't get treatment.
How syphilis is transmitted
Syphilis spreads through skin-to-skin rubbing or during unprotected vaginal, anal, and oral sex with someone who has an infection. It can also spread through other forms of sex play such as mutual masturbation. You're more likely to get syphilis when someone has symptoms such as an ulcer or a rash.
If you have syphilis during pregnancy, you can pass the infection onto your baby.
Symptoms of syphilis
Early signs of syphilis include sores or ulcers around the mouth, anus, penis or vagina. These are often painless, don't bleed and can feel like a hard button on the skin. Although they'll usually go away after a few weeks, without treatment you'll still have a syphilis infection.
About 2 to 6 months later, syphilis can cause:
- flu-like symptoms
- a red rash on your torso, palms, and the soles of your feet
- swollen glands
- wart-like lumps around the moist areas of the body
- hair loss.
These symptoms will come and go, some for up to a year. Even if symptoms don’t show or disappear over time, syphilis still remains in the body. This means it can still be passed on to others through sex and to a baby during pregnancy.
The only way to cure syphilis is with treatment. If it isn't treated, the infection can lead to serious, permanent problems like damage to the nerves, brain and large vessels near the heart.
Syphilis is a highly infectious sexually transmissible infection or STI, that is passed on during intimate skin-on-skin contact or vaginal, anal or oral sex. It has several stages and can be infectious over a long time.
The first signs of syphilis are often sores or ulcers on or inside the genitals, mouth, or throat about 2-3 weeks after infection. They can also develop earlier, much later or don’t develop at all.
This first stage of infection is called primary syphilis and the sores, called chancres, can be any size or shape.
The ulcers are often painless, don’t bleed and can feel like a hard button on your skin. You may not notice them, especially if they are on anal skin, inside the anus or inside the mouth.
If there is no treatment, the ulcers usually heal within a few weeks but the infection does not go away.
Two to six months after getting infected, the secondary stage of syphilis occurs.
Symptoms may include a flu-like illness, a rash on the torso, palms, and soles of the feet, swollen glands, wart-like lumps around the moist areas of the body, and hair loss.
The rash looks like rough, red or brown spots but these are usually not itchy.
Some people also get headaches, tiredness and pains in the bones, muscles and joints.
You can feel quite unwell during this stage.
When the body detects an STI, the immune system tries to destroy the infection.
If you do not get treatment, the immune response can cause secondary symptoms which can come and go for up to a year after the initial infection.
Even when these symptoms go away you are still infectious. Some people will never develop symptoms and will only learn that they have syphilis after having a blood test.
After two years of infection, you are no longer infectious to other people. This stage of the infection is called late latent syphilis and treatment at this stage is very important to prevent long-term consequences. For some people, untreated syphilis can turn into tertiary syphilis, sometimes up to 20 years after first infected.
Tertiary syphilis can cause serious problems with nerves, the brain and the large vessels near the heart. Blindness, numbness and brain damage can also occur.
It is very important for all women to be tested for syphilis during pregnancy as an infected woman can pass syphilis onto her unborn baby through the placenta. This is called congenital syphilis and can be a severe, disabling and life-threatening infection for babies. The earlier syphilis is treated during the pregnancy, the lower the risk of the baby being affected.
Syphilis can also increase the risk of transmission of HIV and other STIs.
Syphilis can be easily treated with injections of antibiotics.
Syphilis and other STIs can be prevented by using condoms and water-based lubricant during sex, using sterile injecting equipment, and having regular sexual health check ups. If you are diagnosed with syphilis you must ensure that you or your health provider notify your sexual partners so that they can get tested.
Syphilis is a highly infectious sexually transmissible infection or STI, that is passed on during intimate skin-to-skin contact or vaginal, anal or oral sex with an infected person. It has several stages and can be infectious over a long time.
The first signs of syphilis are often sores or ulcers on or inside the genitals, mouth, or throat about 2-3 weeks after infection. They can also develop earlier, much later or don’t develop at all.
This first stage of infection is called primary syphilis and the sores, called chancres, can be any size or shape.
The ulcers are often painless, don’t bleed and can feel like a hard button on your skin. You may not notice them, especially if they are on anal skin, inside the anus, the cervix, or in the mouth.
If there is no treatment, the ulcers usually heal within a few weeks but the infection does not go away.
Two to six months after getting infected, the secondary stage of syphilis occurs.
Symptoms may include a flu-like illness, a rash on the torso, palms, and soles of the feet, swollen glands, wart-like lumps around the moist areas of the body, and hair loss.
The rash looks like rough, red or brown spots but these are usually not itchy.
Some people also get headaches, tiredness and pains in the bones, muscles and joints.
You can feel quite unwell during this stage.
When the body detects an STI, the immune system tries to destroy the infection.
If you do not get treatment, the immune response can cause secondary symptoms which can come and go for up to a year after the initial infection.
Even when these symptoms go away, you are still infectious. Some people will never develop symptoms and will only learn that they have syphilis after having a blood test.
After two years of infection you are no longer infectious to other people. This stage of the infection is called late latent syphilis and treatment at this stage is very important to prevent long-term consequences. For some people, untreated syphilis can turn into tertiary syphilis, sometimes up to 20 years after first infected.
Tertiary syphilis can cause serious problems with nerves, and the large vessels near the heart. Blindness, numbness and brain damage can also occur.
It is very important for all women to be tested for syphilis during pregnancy as an infected woman can pass syphilis onto her unborn baby through the placenta. This is called congenital syphilis and can be a severe, disabling and life-threatening infection for babies. The earlier syphilis is treated during the pregnancy, the lower the risk of the baby being affected.
Syphilis can also increase the risk of transmission of HIV and other STIs.
Syphilis can be easily treated with injections of antibiotics.
Syphilis and other STIs can be prevented by using condoms and water-based lubricant during sex, using sterile injecting equipment, and having regular sexual health check ups. If you are diagnosed with syphilis you must ensure that you or your health provider notify your sexual partners so that they can get tested.
Syphilis and pregnancy
If an unborn baby gets syphilis during pregnancy, the infection can be severe, disabling or life threatening. Syphilis can cause serious birth defects, premature birth and stillbirth.
This is why regular syphilis testing during pregnancy is so important. The earlier syphilis is treated, the lower the risk to your baby.
Preventing syphilis
- Use condoms with water-based lubricant during vaginal and anal sex
- Use condoms or dental dams during oral sex
- Avoid sex if you or someone you’re having sex with has an ulcer or sore on the genitals, bottom or mouth
- Get tested for STIs every 6 to 12 months – the only way to know if you have an infection
- If you're pregnant, get regular syphilis tests during your pregnancy – at the first antenatal visit, at 26 to 28 weeks, and again at 36 weeks
- If you've been diagnosed with syphilis, avoid having sex with anyone until 7 days after you’ve finished your syphilis treatment
Testing for syphilis
Testing for syphilis involves getting a blood test. It can also be tested by a swab if you have an ulcer or a sore.
After getting syphilis, there's a brief time when tests might not pick up the infection. Because of this, you might need to have the test repeated.
Treating syphilis
Syphilis is usually treated with penicillin injections. It's important to have another blood test 3 to 6 months after your treatment to make sure the infection has been cured.
You should also avoid having sex for 7 days after finishing your treatment as you can still pass the infection on to other people during this time.
Book an STI test
Getting tested for STIs is a normal part of a healthy sex life. STI tests are quick, easy, confidential and often free.
Find a GP or local health service
Telling your sexual partners
If you have syphilis, you should tell your current and past sexual partners so they can get tested and treated. This will also help stop you from getting it again. This is called contact tracing or partner notification.