


Syphilis can be passed from one person to another during sex. What is the connection between syphilis and HIV? These tests will show if the antibiotic killed all the syphilis bacteria. How will I know my syphilis has been cured?Īfter your treatment, your doctor will ask you to come back several times for blood tests. Syphilis can cause birth defects and even death in an unborn baby. If you’re pregnant, it’s very important to get treated right away. A few people have to go to the hospital to be treated with penicillin intravenously (through an IV). This can be done in the doctor’s office or at a clinic. You may get shots of penicillin every day for 10 days. If you have an advanced case of syphilis, you may need stronger treatment. If you’re allergic to penicillin, be sure to tell your doctor.

If you have had syphilis longer than 1 year, you will need 2 or more shots. If you have had syphilis for 1 year or less, you only need to get 1 shot. Syphilis can be cured with penicillin, which is an antibiotic. But even if they have no signs or the signs go away on their own, the infection is still alive and can cause serious health problems many years later. In other people, the signs may be very mild. Some people who have syphilis don’t have any signs of infection. Tertiary syphilis may damage the heart and other organs, also. This stage can cause problems in the brain and spinal cord. This stage produces no symptoms, but the infection is still present in the body.Īfter many years, people who have syphilis and don’t get treatment may develop the fourth stage of syphilis, called tertiary syphilis. Other signs of secondary syphilis include fever, swollen lymph nodes, sore throat, body aches, sores in the mouth, and fatigue.Īfter recovering from the secondary stage of syphilis, the disease can move into the latent stage. The rash appears 2 to 10 weeks after the appearance of the sores. The rash is usually reddish-brown and can occur anywhere on the body (even on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet). When syphilis gets into your blood, it can move into the secondary stage and cause many problems. If you don’t treat syphilis early, it spreads from the sore into your blood. You may also have enlarged lymph nodes (glands) in your groin. You might not even notice the sore, because syphilis sores do not usually hurt. In women, the first sign may be a sore around or inside the vagina. In men, the first sign of syphilis may be a sore on the penis. It usually occurs 10 days to 3 months after exposure. The first stage of syphilis is called primary syphilis.
