This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.
Reproduced with permission from DermNetdermnetnz.org2023.
Syphilis is mainly transmitted (passed) through oral, vaginal, or anal sex.
Reproduced with permission from © DermNetdermnetnz.org2023.
This generally pops up if you come into contact with a syphilis sore or rash.
The odds of infection from someone with early syphilis run anywhere from 51% to 64%.
Another common mode ofT.
Reproduced with permission from © DermNet dermnetnz.org 2023
pallidumtransmission is from a pregnant person to the fetus during pregnancy.
Congenital (present at birth) syphilis mainly occurs whenT.
pallidumis passed to the fetus via theplacenta.
Cases of syphilis have been linked to blood transfusions and organ transplants, but these are considered rare.
How Common Is Syphilis Today?
Reproduced with permission from DermNet dermnetnz.org 2023
What Are the Symptoms Associated With Syphilis?
The symptoms of syphilis vary by the stage of infection.
Primary Stage
Primary syphilis happens two to 12 weeks after exposure toT.
Most cases involve just a single sore, but it is possible to have more than one.
Because chancres are generally painless, you may not even know that you have the infection.
The chancre will eventually clear on its own within a few weeks or months.
It is important to get treatment, even if your sore goes away.
Left untreated, around 1 in 4 people with primary syphilis will progress to secondary syphilis.
The rash is usually non-itchy.
Thereafter, your risk of transmission rapidly declines.
After two years, it is rare for transmission to occur.
Up to half of all babies infected with syphilis die shortly before or after birth.
A Word From Verywell
Prevention is the cornerstone of managing syphilis.
Is Syphilis Curable?
Syphilis is curable at all stages.
After that, response rates steadily decline.
Early detection is key to protecting yourself and others from this widespread and increasingly complicated STI.
Syphilis Treatment Options
Penicillin G is the preferredantibioticfor syphilis.
Does My Sex Partner Need Treatment?
This led to the temporary importation of an alternative form of benzathine penicillin G called Extencilline.
Syphilis is a reportable disease in every state, although reporting requirements vary.
With that said, don’t assume that these systems are infallible.
Consider contacting your partners yourself and explaining the situation without accusation or blame.
Summary
Syphilis is a curable sexually transmitted infection brought on by theTreponema pallidumbacteria.
Penicillin G is the treatment of choice for all stages of syphilis.
Primary, secondary, and early-latent syphilis can usually be cured with one intramuscular injection.
Late-latent and tertiary syphilis can usually be resolved with three intramuscular injections given over three weeks.
Congenital syphilis may be treated with IV or IM penicillin for 10 days.
Sexual partners should also be tested and treated.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexually transmitted infections treatment guidelines, 2021: syphilis.
Department of Health and Human Services.Syphilis is a public health priority.
New York State Department of Health.Syphilis.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Neurosyphilis, ocular syphilis, and otosyphilis.
Clement ME, Okeke NL, Hicks CB.Treatment of syphilis: a systematic review.JAMA.
World Health Organization.Notes on the design of bioequivalence study: benzathine benzylpenicillin.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexually transmitted infections treatment guidelines, 2021: tertiary syphilis.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexually transmitted infections treatment guidelines, 2021: latent syphilis.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexually transmitted infections treatment guidelines, 2021: primary & secondary syphilis.
California Department of Public Health.Special considerations for the treatment of syphilis using alternative therapies in non-pregnant persons.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Screening recommendations and considerations are referenced in treatment guidelines and original sources.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Reporting and confidentiality.
