Syphilis

Syphilis is a bacterial infection that is sexually transmitted.  This is not as common as some of the other bacterial STIs but can lead to very serious health problems if it is left untreated. It is treated  with antibiotics, usually as an injection (or injections).

Syphilis can be passed on through vaginal, anal or oral sex (especially without a condom). It can also be passed from mother to baby during pregnancy.

As many people with Syphilis are unaware they have it, passing the infection on without realising is common.

You can test for HIV and Syphilis from the same blood sample with our self-collect test kits. 

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Signs & Symptoms

It is important to note that symptoms of Syphilis can be easy to ignore, as they are often mild and disappear after a while.

There are four stages of Syphilis infection and signs and symptoms are different for each of the stages (primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary).

A firm, painless, non-itchy skin ulcer (chancre) is often found in the primary stage – most commonly two to three weeks after being in contact with the infection.  These usually appear where the infection has entered the body, which means that although they are commonly found in the genital area, they can also appear on the mouth, throat, fingers or buttocks. These can take several weeks to heal, during which time they are extremely infectious. The infection spreads to other parts of the body within the first six weeks and becomes Secondary Syphilis.