About Syphilis

Who is at highest risk?

Syphilis occurs worldwide and can affect both men and women.

The number of cases is rising fastest in:

• Women
• Men who have sex with men
• Young adults ages 15 to 25
• People who exchange sex for drugs or money
• American Indians and African Americans

Your risk of syphilis increases if you:

• Have unprotected sex (do not use condoms or do not use them correctly).
• Have multiple sex partners.
• Have a sex partner who has syphilis.
• Have sex with a partner who has multiple sex partners.

Syphilis in specific populations

Syphilis can be passed on to babies during pregnancy and can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, early delivery, low birth weight, serious illness in the baby, lifelong health problems (including blindness and deafness), or the baby's death shortly after birth.

Get tested for syphilis three times each pregnancy:  

1. At first prenatal encounter (ideally in the first trimester)
2. Early in the third trimester (28-32 weeks’ gestation)  
3. At delivery

If you are pregnant and have syphilis, you and your sex partner should receive antibiotic treatment right away.

• Congenital Syphilis - CDC Fact Sheet
  Recently, there has been a sharp increase in the number of babies born with syphilis in the United States. Protect your baby from congenital syphilis by getting tested for syphilis during your pregnancy.

Complications

• Syphilis can be cured if it is diagnosed early and treated with antibiotics.
• However, while treatment will prevent further damage, it will not repair damage already caused by late-stage syphilis.
  • Late-stage syphilis can cause damage to the brain, heart, blood vessels, and bones. Any organ in the body can be affected by syphilis.
• Syphilis affecting the brain is called neurosyphilis. It can also affect the eyes (ocular syphilis) and ears (otosyphilis).
• Untreated syphilis can be fatal.
• If you have syphilis, you have a higher risk of becoming infected with HIV. And people living with HIV may have more complications from syphilis, especially neurosyphilis, than those who are HIV negative.
• In addition, untreated syphilis during pregnancy may spread to the developing fetus, and can lead to problems with the pregnancy, including miscarriage, stillbirth, serious illness, or death of the baby.

Transmission

• Syphilis is passed from person to person through direct contact with a syphilis sore.
• Transmission occurs during vaginal, anal, or oral sex.
• Syphilis can be passed from parent to baby during pregnancy.
• Syphilis cannot be spread through contact with toilet seats, swimming pools, hot tubs, bath tubs, shared clothing, or eating utensils.

Prevention

Syphilis prevention methods can greatly reduce, but do not eliminate, the risk of transmission. Any sexually active person can get syphilis through vaginal, anal, or oral sex.

• Condoms, when used consistently and correctly, can reduce the risk of syphilis only when the infected areas are covered or protected by the condom.
  • Always use condoms during vaginal and anal sex.
  • Use a condom for oral sex on a penis.
  • Use a barrier (dental dam or condom cut in half) for oral sex on a vagina or anus.
• CDC Condom Locator
  Search by zip code to find free or low-cost condoms near you.
• Your healthcare provider can prescribe you an antibiotic called doxycycline to prevent certain bacterial sexual transmitted infections (STIs), including syphilis. This is called ‘doxy PEP’.
  • There are pros and cons to doxy PEP, and its benefit has not been proven for everyone.  
  • Talk to your provider about doxy PEP and whether it might be right for you.

Testing

• Syphilis testing is done with a blood test that looks for antibodies (or the body's reaction) to the bacteria that causes syphilis.
• A health care provider will consider your symptoms and your test result to tell if you have syphilis and what stage infection you have.
• Partners should be tested and treated at the same time.
• If you're pregnant, you should be tested for syphilis three times during your pregnancy.
• STD Testing
  Find free or low-cost testing near you.

Partner notification

Always notify sex partners immediately if you have syphilis or another STI. It is important to make sure all partners are tested and treated.

• MDH STI/HIV Partner Services Program 
  The MDH Partner Services Program offers people who have been diagnosed with HIV or an STI free referrals to medical, prevention, and other services, and helps with partner notification.
  • Call the MDH Partner Services Program at 651-201-5414.  

Treatment

• Syphilis is easily curable at all stages with antibiotics.
• The most common treatment for syphilis is a shot of an antibiotic called penicillin. Another antibiotic called doxycycline, in pill form, is sometimes used. Your health care provider will determine which antibiotic is best for you.
• All sexual partners of the person with syphilis should be treated at same time.
• You should have follow- up testing after you have completed your treatment to ensure that your treatment was successful.
• A person can be re-infected after treatment.

More information about syphilis

• Syphilis: Fact Sheet, CDC
  The CDC’s basic fact sheets are presented in plain language for individuals with general questions about sexually transmitted diseases.
• Syphilis FAQs: American Sexual Health Association
  Frequently asked questions and answers about syphilis from the American Sexual Health Association.
• Minnesota Family Planning and STD Hotline
  Toll-free hotline for confidential information about the prevention, testing locations and treatment of STDs in Minnesota (1-800-78-FACTS).