What is syphilis?
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by a bacterium (called Treponema pallidium). The bacterium can cause painless sores or ulcers. Syphilis is spread through contact with these infected sores during oral, anal, or vaginal sex.

Sores or ulcers are called “chancres” (pronounced shan-ker) and for men are usually found on or around the penis, anus, or mouth. This is the first stage of syphilis, called primary syphilis. Even untreated, symptoms will disappear – but the infection has not gone away. This can lead to the next stage, called secondary syphilis. Secondary syphilis can cause a rash, multiple sores, hair loss, white patches on the tongue, or wart-like growths. Late syphilis, or tertiary syphilis, is very dangerous and can cause blindness, mental illness, heart problems, and even lead to death. Learn more about symptoms.

You may have heard that syphilis was a problem centuries ago. That’s true, but now syphilis rates are growing among gay and bisexual men, especially in cities like Boston. The number of syphilis infections among men who have sex with men has risen dramatically in the last 3 years.

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What are the symptoms of syphilis?
Within 90 days of being infected – an average of 3 weeks – a painless sore or ulcer appears (called a chancre). For men, the chancre is usually found on or around the penis, anus, or mouth. This first stage is called primary syphilis. The chancre contains a clear fluid that is full of bacteria, making you very contagious. Even without treatment, the chancre will heal in a few weeks. Get tested and seek treatment if you have these symptoms.

Syphilis symptoms can be easy to miss and are different from person to person. You can have syphilis even without noticeable symptoms. This is why testing is important (every 6 months), especially if you’ve had sex with someone who has syphilis.

If left untreated, syphilis will progress. After the chancre heals, there may be a period of time without any symptoms, called a latent period. Then other symptoms will appear, called secondary syphilis. Symptoms of secondary syphilis can include:

• Muscle pain, headache, and fever
• A rash on the body
• Spots on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet
• Hair loss
• White patches on the tongue
• Wart-like growths (called condylomata lata)

It may take up to several weeks for these symptoms to appear, so many people don’t realize it’s related to sex they may have had long ago. These symptoms will go away without treatment, but you can still infect others. Get tested and seek treatment if you have these symptoms.

If untreated, people with syphilis may develop late syphilis, also called tertiary syphilis. This takes many years but is very harmful and can even lead to death. Late syphilis can cause blindness, mental illness, heart and brain problems, and other organ damage. An infection of the brain can occur at any stage of syphilis.

Click here to see what symptoms look like (photos are graphic).

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Why get tested?
Testing is easy and safe. If you are sexually active, getting tested regularly (every 6 months) will help you find syphilis early and get treated before it spreads to other parts of the body. With treatment, syphilis is curable. By getting tested, you are also helping to protect your partners and the Boston community.

There are a couple of testing options:

• Visit a testing site for free or low-cost testing
• Get tested at your own doctor’s office or health center

The syphilis test is usually a blood test, and takes only a few minutes. If you have a chancre, sometimes a small sample from it can be tested. If you go to your doctor with symptoms, he or she may also recognize the symptoms as syphilis. Learn more about symptoms.

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How is syphilis treated?
Syphilis is curable. Standard treatment is penicillin shots, and people allergic to penicillin are given different medications. For some people, penicillin doesn’t work, so it’s important to get tested regularly to make sure the syphilis has been cured.

Even if you are treated for syphilis, you can become infected again. Treatment does not make you immune to syphilis.

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How can I protect myself and my partners from syphilis?
If you’re sexually active, make syphilis testing part of your routine (every 6 months). If you have any symptoms, get tested and seek treatment – it will help you stay healthy and not infect partners.

Condoms and dental dams can help prevent syphilis, but they aren’t 100% effective. If you notice a partner has sores or ulcers, the safest thing is to not have sex – and remember, oral, anal, and vaginal sex can spread syphilis. Reducing your number of partners can also help you lower your risk of syphilis infection.

To help protect your partners and the community:
• Don’t have sex if you have symptoms or know you’ve been exposed to syphilis
• Make testing part of your routine
• Get treatment if you have symptoms or have been exposed to syphilis

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What do I need to know about syphilis and HIV?
It’s important for everyone to know that syphilis makes it much more likely to acquire or transmit HIV infection.

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Information adapted from www.gettestedchicago.com