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Sexual Health Information |
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Syphilis is a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) caused by a bacterium called Triponema pallidum.
How do you get it?
You can get Syphilis, like other STIs, during unprotected sex (anal, oral or vaginal). When you have direct contact with a Syphilis sore or rash, the bacteria enter the blood stream. You can also get it if you share needles to inject drugs. A pregnant woman can pass it to the fetus growing inside her.
What are the symptoms?
Most people who have Syphilis have no symptoms. They can pass the infection on to their sexual partner(s) without knowing it.
When the bacteria enter the body, if untreated, the disease goes through a few stages. Symptoms may appear 10 - 90 days after sexual contact with an infected person.
First or primary stage:
- A painless sore (chancre) may appear on the penis, buttocks, vagina, throat, or at any other part of the body where the bacteria entered.
- Many people do not notice the sore because it is painless. If they are not treated, the infection will continue into the secondary stage.
Secondary stage:
- Usually occurs 4 - 10 weeks after the chancre appears
- A rash may appear on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, or any part of the body.
- In some cases, there is a patchy hair loss, muscle and joint pain, or swollen glands.
- These symptoms may disappear without treatment.
- The infection then continues into early latent and late latent stages.
Latent stages:
- Usually happens 10 - 20 years later.
- If a person has HIV, these stages can appear earlier.
- Can cause serious heart, brain and bone disease.
How do you know you have it?
- A blood test is used to diagnose Syphilis
- It can take 2 - 12 weeks for the infection to appear in the blood
This is not a routine blood test. If you think you may have been infected, tell the doctor or clinic and ask for a blood test.
All pregnant women are tested for Syphilis, as part of their prenatal care.
What is the treatment?
- It is important to treat syphilis as early as possible; treatment will prevent serious complications. (It also means you will not give it to anyone else.)
- It is easy to treat and cure syphilis with antibiotics.
- The best treatment is penicillin. People allergic to penicillin can use other antibiotics.
- Even though you have been treated and cured, if you have other Syphilis blood tests, they may remain "positive" for life.
Are there any complications?
- Without treatment the symptoms will go away (but the disease will continue to spread through the body).
- Many years later, it may cause severe damage the heart, brain, bones and eyes.
- If not treated, a pregnant woman can pass Syphilis to the fetus. The baby may develop serious health problems or even die.
What about sexual partners?
All sexual and needle-sharing partners need to be checked, tested and treated.
If a person is in:
Primary stage:
Partners within the past three months before the start of symptoms should be informed.
Secondary stage:
All partners within the past 6 months should be informed.
Latent stages:
In the early latent stage, all partners within one year of diagnosis should be informed. In the late latent stage, all recent and past partners should be informed. A public health nurse can help an infected person notify their partner(s).
Do you need any more testing?
Yes. Follow-up blood tests for syphilis are very important. The results of these blood tests will show if the treatment was effective or if you need further treatment. The clinic will tell you to return for follow-up blood tests.
Things to remember:
- Avoid sex (anal, oral or vaginal) with anyone who has a sore(s) in the genital area.
- If you already have syphilis, avoid sex (anal, oral or vaginal), even with a condom, until after treatment. Wait until the doctor tells you the blood test is satisfactory.
- If you have an untreated STI like syphilis, it is easier to get HIV from a person.
- Do not share needles.
Needle Exchange Program (The Works)
- Pregnant women should have a blood test for Syphilis.
- Use condoms to lower the chance of getting STIs and to prevent pregnancy.
- It is possible to have more than one infection at a time, so it is important to be tested for other STIs.
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For more information:
AIDS and Sexual Health InfoLine 1-800-668-2437
Toronto Health Connection 416-338-7600
Toronto Sexual Health Clinics
STIs
Safer Sex
Pregnancy
Web Links
Links to sites outside the City of Toronto website are provided for convenience and additional general information only. Toronto Public Health does not endorse any advertisements and is not responsible for the content and opinions found on external sites.
The information posted on this site, as well as linked sites, is not a substitute for a
professional medical opinion.
Hassle Free Clinic, Toronto, Canada
Information on Syphilis and testing
AIDS Committee of Toronto, Canada
Information of Syphilis and testing
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