Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Symptoms of Syphilis
• Method 2 of 3: Diagnosing and Treating Syphilis
• Method 3 of 3: Preventing Syphilis
• Tips
• Warnings

Syphilis is a highly contagious sexually transmitted disease caused by bacteria Treponema pallidum. If untreated, it leads to irreversible damage to the brain and other organs and is a chronic, systemic disease. The incidence of syphilis decreased until 2000, but by now it has increased sharply (mainly due to the male population). In 2013, there were 56,471 new cases of syphilis in the United States. If you care about your health, then you need to know the symptoms of syphilis, as well as the methods of treatment. Even if you are not sick with syphilis, you should be aware of the prevention of this disease.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Symptoms of Syphilis

1. 1 Know how syphilis is transmitted. Only by knowing how syphilis is transmitted can you understand whether you are at risk or not. Syphilis is spread from person to person through contact with the primary affect. The primary affect can be located on the penis, labia, inside the vagina, anus, or rectum, and on the lips and mouth.
   • If you have had vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone with syphilis, you are at high risk of infection.
   • Nevertheless, direct contact with the patient is necessary. Syphilis is not spread through shared cutlery, toilet use, doorknobs, bathtubs and swimming pools.
   • Men who have sex with men with syphilis are at greater risk.Therefore, 75% of the reported cases of syphilis in 2013 are in men. Be vigilant if you belong to this category of men.
2. 2 Remember that you can be a carrier of syphilis for years without even knowing it. The early stages of the disease do not have pronounced symptoms, so most people are not even aware of their disease. Even if the carrier notes the symptoms of the disease, he often does not associate them with sex in any way, so the disease progresses without treatment for a long time. The disease progresses within 1–20 years after infection, and the patient unknowingly passes it on to sexual partners.
3. 3 Symptoms of primary infection. Syphilis is divided into three stages: primary, secondary, and tertiary (late). Primary syphilis lasts about three weeks after contact with the sick person. However, it is worth expecting the manifestation of the disease from 10 to 90 days.
   • The primary affect of syphilis is a painless, small, hard and round ulceration called chancre. The most common chancre is one, but there may be more.
   • Chancre appears at the site of the introduction of bacteria into the body. Most often these are the genitals, mouth or anus.
   • Chancre resolves on its own and without a trace after 4–8 weeks. However, this does not mean that syphilis has been cured. Without treatment, syphilis becomes secondary.
4. 4 Differences between primary and secondary syphilis. Secondary syphilis begins 4–8 weeks after infection and lasts 1–3 months. It begins with the appearance of a "papular rash" on the palms and soles. The rash is characterized by reddish-brownish patches without itching. Spots also appear on other parts of the body. People usually do not pay attention to the rash, or suspect other causes. This attitude leads to a delay in treatment.
   • There are other symptoms common to secondary syphilis. However, they are also mistaken for other illnesses, such as the flu or stress.
   • Other symptoms of secondary syphilis include fatigue, muscle aches, fever, sore throat, headaches, swollen lymph glands, focal hair loss, weight loss.
   • In a third of patients who do not receive treatment, syphilis goes into the latent or tertiary stage. The latent stage is the period preceding tertiary syphilis, without obvious clinical symptoms.
5. 5 Symptoms of latent and tertiary syphilis. The latent stage begins after the extinction of the symptoms of primary and secondary syphilis. The bacterium that causes syphilis is still in the body, but does not cause symptoms of the disease. This stage can last for years. However, in one third of patients not receiving treatment in the latent stage, syphilis progresses to the tertiary stage with serious consequences. Tertiary syphilis usually develops 10–40 years after infection.
   • Tertiary syphilis is characterized by damage to the brain, heart, eyes, liver, bones and joints. These lesions are so severe that they can lead to death.
   • In addition, tertiary syphilis is manifested by muscle dysfunction, numbness, paralysis, blindness, and dementia.
6. 6 Symptoms of syphilis in newborns. If a pregnant woman has syphilis, she passes the disease to her baby through the placenta. Intensive antenatal care is needed to prevent complications. The most common symptoms of syphilis in newborns are:
   • intermittent fever;
   • enlarged liver and spleen (hepatosplenomegaly);
   • swollen lymph nodes;
   • chronic rhinitis without signs of allergy (persistent rhinitis);
   • papular rash on the palms and soles.

Method 2 of 3: Diagnosing and Treating Syphilis

1. 1 See your doctor if you suspect syphilis. If you suspect that you have been in contact with someone with syphilis, see your doctor immediately. See your doctor if you notice unusual discharge, sores, or a rash in the genital area.
2. 2 Get tested regularly if you are at risk. The Prevention Center recommends that people at risk of syphilis be tested annually, even in the absence of symptoms of the disease. However, studies have shown that there is no need to get tested for people who are not at risk, as this can lead to unnecessary antibiotic treatment and anxiety. The risk group includes:
   • people who have (or have had) casual sex;
   • people whose sexual partner is sick with syphilis;
   • HIV-infected people;
   • pregnant women;
   • men having sex with men.
3. 3 Get a blood test. Searching for antibodies to the causative agent of syphilis is the most effective way to diagnose syphilis. The analysis is technically simple and inexpensive. The following tests are most commonly used to detect antibodies:
   • Non-specific tests: such tests are widely used as screening tests, the reliability of their results is 70%. If the result is positive, the doctor prescribes specific tests for syphilis.
   • Specific tests: These tests detect antibodies to treponema pallidum. They are not used as screening tests.
   • In some cases, a laboratory technician may need scraping from the site of the alleged invasion. In such cases, the smear is examined under a microscope to look for treponema pallidum.
   • All patients are assigned an HIV test in parallel.
4. 4 Antibiotic treatment. Syphilis is easily treated with antibiotics and proper medical attention. Syphilis detected in the early stages is the easiest to cure - in such cases, one dose of penicillin is enough for recovery. Antibiotics are most effective in the early stages of syphilis, and least effective in advanced stages. Patients with syphilis need several doses of antibiotics for more than a year to recover. Patients with latent or tertiary syphilis need three doses of antibiotic every week.
   • Tell your doctor if you have an allergic reaction to penicillin. Your doctor will prescribe an alternative antibiotic, such as a two-week course of doxycycline or tetracycline. Note that alternative antibiotics are contraindicated in pregnant women due to the risk of birth defects. If a pregnant woman has syphilis, a doctor's consultation is necessary.
5. 5 Don't try to treat syphilis yourself. Penicillin, doxycycline and tetracycline neutralize the causative agent of syphilis. No other home remedy or over-the-counter drug can do this. Only a doctor can prescribe the correct dosage of the antibiotic.
   • Antibiotics that are effective against syphilis do not help to restore the tissues affected by treponema.
   • For children, diagnostic and treatment methods are similar to those used for adults.
6. 6 Medical supervision. After recovery, the doctor will usually order nonspecific tests for syphilis every three months. This allows you to evaluate the results of the treatment. If after six months there is no improvement in the results, then the disease has relapsed, or a change of antibiotics is required.
7. 7 Refrain from sex during the treatment period. It is very important not to have sex during treatment, especially with new partners. Until the tests show the destruction of the causative agent of syphilis, and the ulcers do not heal, you are the source of syphilis.
   • Notify all of your former partners about your diagnosis so that they too can be tested and treated.

Method 3 of 3: Preventing Syphilis

1. 1 Use latex or polyurethane condoms or rubber dams. Using a condom during vaginal, anal, oral sex reduces the risk of contracting syphilis. However, care must be taken to ensure that the ulcer is completely covered by the condom. Always use a condom when having sex with a new partner, as he may not be aware of his infection, especially if there are no visible manifestations.
   • Remember that you can get syphilis if the sore is not completely covered by the condom.
   • It is advisable to use rubber dams for oral sex with a woman, as they cover a large area of ​​the skin. If you do not have a rubber dam, you can cut the condom and use it as a dam.
   • Latex and polyurethane condoms provide protection against STDs and HIV. "Natural" or "sheep" condoms do not protect against STDs.
   • Use a new condom every time you have sex. Do not reuse a condom, even for different types of sex (vaginal, anal, oral).
   • Use water-based lubricants with latex condoms. Oil-based lubricants such as petroleum jelly, mineral oil, and body lotion can weaken the protective properties of a condom and increase the risk of contracting an STD.
2. 2 Avoid casual sex. There is never a guarantee that a casual partner is not sick with an STD. Therefore, you should refrain from casual sex. If you know your partner has syphilis, avoid sex with him, even if you have a condom.
   • The safest option is a monogamous long-term relationship in which both partners are tested for syphilis and STDs.
3. 3 Avoid excessive amounts of alcohol and drugs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends avoiding alcohol and drug abuse. These substances increase sex drive, which increases the likelihood of casual sex.
4. 4 Get attentive antenatal care during pregnancy. It is imperative for pregnant women to receive skilled and attentive care that includes a syphilis test. Doctors recommend that all pregnant women undergo screening examinations, since syphilis is transmitted to a child from a sick mother, leading to serious illness and death.
   • Children with syphilis are often underweight, are born prematurely, or die.
   • Even if a baby is born without symptoms of the disease, if untreated, serious health problems will manifest within a few weeks. These manifestations include deafness, cataracts, seizures, and death.
   • All of this can be avoided by screening during pregnancy. If it turns out that the mother has syphilis, the mother and child will have to undergo treatment.

Tips

• Syphilis is easier to cure in the early stages. A person with syphilis for less than a year needs one dose of penicillin. With a disease duration of more than a year, the number of doses of penicillin increases significantly.
• The safest way to avoid contracting an STD is abstinence or a long-term monogamous relationship in which both partners are tested for syphilis and STDs.
• Patients receiving treatment should not have sexual intercourse until the chancre has completely disappeared. A patient with syphilis should inform his partner about his illness and recommend an examination.
• Syphilis is not spread through cutlery, doorknobs, swimming pools or toilets.
• A doctor can diagnose syphilis by examining a swab of the chancre. Syphilis can be confirmed with a blood test. These two simple, reliable and inexpensive analyzes can save your life. See your doctor if you suspect you have syphilis.

Warnings

• Chancre in syphilis facilitates the penetration of HIV infection during sexual intercourse.
• There are no home or over-the-counter medications for syphilis.
• Spermicidal condoms are no more effective at fighting STDs than simple condoms.
• Lack of treatment in pregnant women with syphilis often leads to infection and death of the fetus.