Health Info & Services

• What it is
• How you get it
• Symptoms
• Testing
• Treatment
• If you don't take care of it

Syphilis is an STI caused by an organism called a spirochete. It can remain in the body for life and lead to disfigurement, neurologic disorder, or death. The annual number of reported cases of syphilis in the U.S. has dropped to 70,000 because of effective antibiotics and increased condom use.

• Sexual contact (vaginal, oral or anal) with someone who has syphilis
• Any contact of sores during primary and secondary stages of syphilis
• Mother to fetus during pregnancy (if mother is infected)

Early Stage: Painless sores on the mouth, penis, vagina, anus or elsewhere on the body. If you don't treat it, the sore will go away in a couple of weeks, but syphilis is still present in the body (many people with syphilis may not notice the sores). They often appear from 10 days to 1 year after infection and last 3 to 6 weeks.

Late Stage: A body rash may appear after one year and throughout life. The rash may come and go for up to 2 years and often appear in the palms of the hands or the soles of the feet. They may also experience new sores, fever, sore throat, body aches, hair loss, and swollen glands. In later stages, serious damage may occur to the nervous system, heart, brain, or other organs and death may result.

• Sores examined
• Blood test

• Antibiotics
• Hospitalization may be necessary

• May cause severe organ damage which cannot be reversed and may lead to death
• May pass from mother to fetus, causing severe damage or death

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General Information on STIs

Adapted from PPFA (www.plannedparenthood.org) and Planned Parenthood Golden Gate (www.ppgg.org)