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You are here: Home / Services / Sexual Health / Sexual Health Campaigns / Spotlight on Syphilis

Visit your nearest Spectrum clinic and get tested for syphilis!

Wakefield Sexual Health

Open Monday to Friday 8:15am - 12pm for walk-ins or ring 0800 121 4860 to make an appointment at a more convenient time!

Reduce the risk!

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) commonly thought of as an old-school disease that no longer affects people – but this is very wrong! Syphilis is something everybody should be thinking about because it still poses a risk to your sexual health. Are you having unprotected sex? Then the only way to find out if you have syphilis is to be tested.

If left untreated, syphilis can cause serious health problems in both men and women. Scroll down and find out more about:

  • Syphilis symptoms
  • Testing and treatment for syphilis
  • Syphilis and pregnancy
  • Myths around syphilis

If you need any support or would like to make an appointment to get tested, our friendly, non-judgmental staff are here to help you. Visit our clinic page to find services near you.

For more information on the facts and symptoms you can visit the Sexwise website

Follow us on Twitter @SpectrumSHARP or like our Facebook page to keep up to date with sexual health news in the Wakefield, Barnsley and Wigan and Leigh Districts.

About Syphilis

What is syphilis?

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that is caused by bacteria called Treponema pallidum.

Syphilis is easily passed from one person to another through sexual contact and anyone who is sexually active can get it. It’s not as common as some sexually transmitted infections but if it’s not treated it can cause very serious health problems.

Spectrum offer friendly, confidential and non-judgmental advice. If you feel upset or angry about having syphilis and find it difficult to talk to a partner or friends, don’t be afraid to discuss how you feel with our staff.

How is syphilis transmitted?

Syphilis is mainly spread through close contact with an infected sore. This usually happens during vaginal, anal or oral sex, or by sharing sex toys.

It may be possible to catch syphilis if you’re an injecting drug user and you share needles with somebody who’s infected, or through blood transfusions (this is very rare in the UK as all blood donations are tested for infections such as syphilis).

Syphilis can’t be spread by using the same toilet, clothing, cutlery or bathroom as an infected person.

To help protect you from syphilis and most STIs including chlamydia, gonorrhoea and HIV, you can:

  • Use a condom every time you have vaginal or anal sex.
  • Using a condom or dam during oral sex.
  • Avoid sharing sex toys. If you do share them, wash them after each use or cover them with a new condom after every use.
What are the symptoms of syphilis?

First stage of syphilis (primary syphilis)

After initial infection, symptoms usually take around two to three weeks to develop. The main symptom in this stage is a small, painless sore or ulcer that you may not notice.

  • The sore will typically be found on the penis, vagina or around the anus. Sometimes the ulcer can appear in the mouth or on the lips, fingers or buttocks.
  • Usually people will only have one sore, but some may have several.

You may also experience swollen glands in your neck, groin or armpits.

These symptoms usually pass within two to eight weeks and if left untreated, the infection will then progress into secondary syphilis.

Second stage of syphilis (secondary syphilis)

The next stage of symptoms tends to develop a few weeks after the initial symptoms have passed. Symptoms of secondary syphilis include:

  • A blotchy red rash that can appear anywhere on the body, but often develops on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet.
  • Skin growths (similar to genital warts) – on women these are found on the vulva and for both men and women they may appear around the anus.
  • White patches in the mouth.
  • Flu-like symptoms such as tiredness, headaches, joint pains and a high temperature.
  • Swollen glands.
  • Some people may experience patchy hair loss.

After a few weeks, these symptoms will pass although they may sometimes come and go over several months before they disappear.

Latent stage of syphilis

The symptoms for primary and secondary syphilis may eventually go away, but this does not mean your body has cleared the infection. Even with no symptoms, you’ll still have the infection and this is the latent stage.

It is still possible to pass on syphilis during this stage. If left untreated, the syphilis infection can live in the body for many years without causing any symptoms.

Third stage of syphilis (tertiary syphilis)

Eventually syphilis will spread to parts of the body such as the brain, causing life-threatening problems, this is tertiary syphilis. People at this stage will start to experience serious conditions such as:

  • Dementia symptoms.
  • Meningitis.
  • Stroke.
  • Vision problems or blindness.
  • Heart problems.
  • Loss of co-ordination.

Syphilis can still be treated at this stage but it isn’t possible to reverse all the damage caused by the effects of tertiary syphilis.

Testing for syphilis

The initial symptoms of syphilis can be so mild that people may not realise they have been infected. The only way to know if you have been infected is by getting tested.

Syphilis doesn’t go away if left untreated and can cause serious problems if left undiagnosed.

You should get tested for syphilis if:

  • You’re worried you might have it
  • A sexual partner has told you they have syphilis
  • If you have symptoms of syphilis.

It is really important to get tested if you’ve had unprotected sex, you have multiple sexual partners, you’re a man who has sex with men, or you’ve had sexually transmitted infections in the past.

To diagnose syphilis, you’ll usually have a:

  • Physical examination – A doctor or nurse will have a look at your genitals or other parts of your body to look for any growths or rashes.
  • Blood test – This will show whether you have syphilis or have had it in the past; you will be advised to repeat the test a few weeks later if the first test is negative and it’s been less than 12 weeks since your last risk
  • Swab test – If you have any sores, a swab will be used to take a small sample of fluid and syphilis can be diagnosed this way.

Whilst testing for syphilis you’ll probably be advised to test for other STIs such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea as it’s possible to have more than one STI at a time.

You should avoid having sex or close sexual contact until you get your test results.

Treatment for syphilis

To receive treatment for syphilis, you must first be tested to confirm you have the infection.

The type of treatment you need depends on how long you’ve had syphilis.

  • Syphilis that has lasted less than two years is treated with an injection of penicillin into your buttocks, or a 2 week course of other antibiotic tablets if you are allergic to penicillin.
  • Syphilis that has lasted over two years is treated with three penicillin injections in the buttocks over 3 weeks, or a 28 day course of other antibiotic tablets if you’re allergic to penicillin.
  • If syphilis has begun to affect the brain, daily penicillin injections are given for two weeks, or a 28 day course of other antibiotic tablets if you can’t have penicillin.

To ensure the treatment has worked properly, it will be recommended that you have a follow-up test to ensure the infection has cleared.

Avoid any kind of sexual activity or close sexual contact with another person for two weeks after your treatment finishes. If you do engage in close sexual contact, you could become infected again or you could pass the infection on to somebody else.

Syphilis and pregnancy

If a woman becomes infected whilst she’s pregnant, or becomes pregnant when she already has syphilis, it can be very dangerous for her baby if left untreated.

Syphilis in pregnancy can cause miscarriage, stillbirth or a serious infection called congenital syphilis.

All pregnant women are offered a blood test to check for syphilis, HIV and other blood borne viruses, usually at around 8-12 weeks of pregnancy.

A syphilis infection during pregnancy can be very dangerous for the baby, but the screening test can ensure it is detected and treated as soon as possible. If you’re worried you may have been exposed to syphilis later in your pregnancy, the test can be repeated.

Telling your partner you have syphilis

If you have found out you have syphilis, or any other STI, it is important you let previous partners know. Your current and past partners will need to get tested and treated to avoid any serious complications or transmitting the infection further.

You can choose to notify your previous sexual partners yourself, our clinic staff will support you with this, or the clinic can contact them by phone and advise them that they need to go for a check-up.

If you decide the clinic should contact your previous sexual partners, don’t worry. Your details will remain totally confidential and no information about you will be given out without your consent.

Myths about Syphilis

If you have any questions or concerns about syphilis, speak to one of our healthcare team - they can help clear up any misconceptions you might have.
 
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MYTH: Syphilis is incurable.

Syphilis CAN be cured, using antibiotics. If you leave syphilis untreated for years and years – it can still be cured, but not all complications can be reversed.

MYTH: If you‘ve had syphilis once, you can’t get it again.

Whilst that would be great, unfortunately it’s just not true. The best way to minimise your risk of catching syphilis again is by using condoms during anal and vaginal sex and dental dams during oral sex.

MYTH: If you’ve got syphilis, you would know about it.

The symptoms of syphilis are often mistaken for something else, including other sexually transmitted infections. Symptoms also come and go. The only way to know if you have syphilis is to visit a sexual health clinic and get tested.

MYTH: Oral sex can’t spread syphilis.

You can get syphilis from unprotected oral sex, so use a dental dam to reduce your risk.

MYTH: My symptoms have disappeared, I’ve got nothing to worry about.

Syphilis enters a latent stage where no symptoms may occur for a long period of time, but this is dangerous. It’s important if you’ve had any symptoms (whether they’ve gone or not) to get tested.

MYTH: No-one has syphilis anymore.

Syphilis is on the rise. Both males and females who are sexually active are at risk of catching syphilis.

MYTH: Treatment for syphilis will harm my unborn baby.

The treatment for syphilis in pregnant women is completely safe. If left untreated, there will be serious complications for the baby. If you’re worried about the treatment, talk to your nurse or doctor.

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