STD Overview: Syphilis Signs, Symptoms & Treatment
Written by Leslie K. Hughes
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease and is among the most common in the United States. A 2019 CDC study found that syphilis cases were up a whopping 74% from 2015, with a total of nearly 130,000 new cases in 2019. This is a disease that we cannot ignore, and we all must educate ourselves about it to stay safe.
Today we are covering the signs, symptoms, and treatments of syphilis so that you know what to look out for, and how to deal with it if syphilis becomes a part of your life.
How do you get syphilis?
Syphilis happens when you come into direct contact with someone who has syphilitic sores, called chancres. You can get it via vaginal, anal, or oral sex.
These sores appear where the bacteria entered your body. For most people, they are found:
On external genitals
Around external genitals
In the vagina
Around the anus
In the rectum
On the mouth
Around the mouth
An unborn baby can also contract syphilis from its mother.
How do I prevent getting syphilis?
The only sure way to avoid getting syphilis is by abstaining from sex.
However, if you are sexually active, it is key that you practice safety. This means wearing a condom every time you have sex. It is also highly advised that you schedule regular STD tests to make sure you and your partner(s) are safe.
What are the symptoms of syphilis?
The symptoms of this STD depend on the stage of the disease you’re in.
For stage one (called primary syphilis), you most commonly see one or more sores where the infection occurred. Typically these chancres are painless, have a round appearance, and are firm. The sores you may encounter in this stage typically stick around for 3-6 weeks and heal even if you don’t get properly treated for the disease.
For stage two (called secondary syphilis), you may see rashes, swollen lymph nodes, and experience a fever. A syphilis rash is not as obvious as you may think, and in fact, may be hard to detect. Similar to the first stage, the symptoms of secondary syphilis may disappear after time even if you do not seek treatment.
The symptoms associated with primary and secondary syphilis are similar to those you might see for other STDs, so many people may not recognize they have syphilis.
The next stage of this disease is the latent state, where no symptoms exist. You can suffer from this stage of the disease for years without any signs or symptoms.
Then, it may move on to the tertiary stage where the real problems begin. Once syphilis reaches this point, your heart, brain, and more are at risk. This is not common for most people who leave their syphilis untreated but does happen to some people 10-30 years after their initial infection.
What does a syphilis test look like?
The most common way to test for syphilis is via a blood test. This will show whether your body has the antibodies used to treat the infection. Because the antibodies that fight against syphilis remain in your body for years, a syphilis test can determine whether you are currently infected with the disease, as well as whether you were infected in the past.
Can syphilis be cured?
As long as you catch syphilis in its early stages, it is an easy STD to cure.
Most doctors prescribe an antibiotic (penicillin) for syphilis treatment, and it is typically administered via a single injection. This is the case for those who have had syphilis for less than a year.
If the syphilis has been around for more than a year, additional doses of penicillin may be necessary.
Can I get syphilis a second time?
Getting syphilis once and treating it does not mean you are in the clear for the rest of your life. Even if you successfully get rid of syphilis, you can contract it a second time and become infected all over again.
To keep this from happening, you must get STD tests regularly if you are sexually active.
What are the long-term effects of syphilis?
If left untreated, syphilis can lead to a slew of problems.
For one, it can lead to bumps on your skin, bones, and organs called gummas.
Another effect of leaving syphilis untreated is damage to your nervous system which can result in things such as:
Stroke
Loss of hearing
Dementia
Incontinence
Impotence
Loss of pain sensation
Some people also suffer from cardiovascular problems and for others, it puts them at a higher risk of contracting HIV. This is because the sores that result from syphilis often bleed, which gives HIV a direct route into your body when having sex.
