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What is syphilis?
Syphilis is a serious sexually transmitted disease caused by a
bacteria. You don't have to have intercourse to get syphilis,
just contact with an infected sore on another person. Because the
sores usually appear on a person's genitals, syphilis is usually
passed through intimate sexual contact. If you don't get it treated,
syphilis can lead to serious health problems and even death.
Fortunately, syphilis can usually be cured with penicillin.
What can I do to avoid
syphilis?
You can reduce your chances of getting syphilis by using a condom
during any kind of intimate sexual contact. But condoms aren't as good
at preventing the spread of syphilis as they are for other sexually
transmitted diseases. That's because syphilis often causes ulcers,
called chancres, on the outside of the genitals and condoms usually
don't cover those ulcers. The ulcers are extremely contagious. You can
catch syphilis easily if you come into close contact with the ulcers.
The best way to avoid getting syphilis or any sexually transmitted
disease is to not have sex or intimate sexual contact at all.
How do I know if I have
syphilis?
Syphilis usually starts out as a chancre, which is a sore that
appears at the place where the syphilis organism entered your body.
The chancre often shows up somewhere in your genital area, such as on
the penis, labia, or at the opening of the vagina, and appears about 3 weeks
after you are exposed to syphilis. Most chancres measure about 1/4
inch to 1 inch across. Because chancres are painless, you may not
notice one at all. Even if you don't get treated for syphilis, the
chancre will heal by itself in 2 to 6 weeks, but you still will have
the bacteria in your body. back to top
What should I do if I think I
have syphilis?
Make an appointment with your health professional to get tested.
He or she will do some blood tests, which will check for the syphilis
organism in your body. There are several different tests for syphilis.
The most common tests are RPR and VDRL. These are screening tests and
tell your health professional if you have a bigger risk of developing
syphilis. Not everyone who is found to be at risk for having syphilis
actually has it. Other blood tests can be used to make the actual
diagnosis of syphilis. back to top
If I have syphilis, who else
needs to know about it?
Syphilis is a reportable disease. That means that your health
professional must report any patients who have syphilis to the NYS
Department of Health (DOH). The state keeps statistics for certain
diseases. If you have syphilis, the DOH will ask your health provider
to speak to you about the names of any people you've had sexual
contact with recently. The DOH will then tell these people they've
been exposed to syphilis so they can be treated if necessary. They'll
do it confidentially, which means they won't use your name, but will
simply tell the people that they've had sexual contact with someone
who has syphilis.
Talking to your health professional about your sexual partners might
seem horrifying, and you might think twice about getting an exam. But
it's very important that you do. By discussing this with your health
professional you'll help everyone have the information they need to
get their syphilis treated. After all, their health might be at risk,
and they could also spread the disease. back to top
How do I get rid of syphilis?
Syphilis can be easily treated with a kind of penicillin called
benzathine penicillin G. Your health professional must give you a shot
of this medicine. If you have syphilis in the early stages, you can be
treated with one or two doses of penicillin. If you have syphilis that
is more serious, your health professional will give you a penicillin
shot once a week for 3 weeks. back to top
What if I have syphilis, but
I don't do anything about it?
You can become very sick if you don't get medicine for syphilis
when the chancres appear. You can eventually have a rash, headache,
fever, sore throat, joint pain, and swollen lymph nodes. You can also
develop flat, fleshy growths on your genitals or in skin folds on your
body. If syphilis remains untreated in your body for a long time, you
could develop serious problems in your heart, brain, or nervous
system. You could even die. back to top
How do I know if the syphilis is
gone?
It is very important to have a syphilis test every three months
for one to two years after being treated for syphilis. This is to make
sure that the medicine has worked and that no other treatment is
needed. back to top
Should my partner be
treated for syphilis?
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease, so if you have it, it
is very likely that your partner also has it. They should see their health professional to get tested. If your
partner has syphilis, they
will also have to take penicillin. If you've had sex with more than
one person, you should tell everyone you had sex with so they can get
treated. back to top
Who should I talk to if I think
I have syphilis?
You should call your health professional whenever you have any
sores on your genitals or the surrounding area. If you're a woman,
remember to have a pelvic
exam once each year, especially if you are sexually active. During
your yearly pelvic exam, your health professional will do a blood test
to be sure you don't have syphilis. back to top
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