Syphilis

Antibiotics can cure syphilis, and this is true even during pregnancy. Depending on your situation, the medicine may be given as an injection, or as tablets or capsules.

Doctors often start treatment before your test results come back, so there is no need to wait and worry. You may need just one dose or several, depending on how far the infection has progressed.

After treatment begins, you will need to return to your GP practice or sexual health clinic at 6 weeks and again at 12 weeks so your blood can be retested and the doctor can confirm the treatment has worked.

It is important to avoid sex, including oral sex and sex with a condom, until both you and your partner or partners have completed treatment and follow up tests confirm it has been successful.

Your partner should also be tested for syphilis, since the infection can be difficult to notice in its early stages and they may not know they have it. In most cases, they will be offered treatment regardless of the test result.

Syphilis and pregnancy

In Scotland, pregnant women are tested for syphilis as a routine part of antenatal care.

If you are pregnant and have syphilis, you can pass the infection to your baby before birth. This is called congenital syphilis.

Having syphilis during pregnancy can raise the risk of:

• miscarriage
• premature birth
• stillbirth

How syphilis spreads

Syphilis is usually passed on through unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex, meaning sex without a condom. Around one in three people who get syphilis catch it through unprotected oral sex alone, without any vaginal or anal contact involved. It can also spread through contact with a syphilis sore on a partner's penis, vagina, anus or inside the mouth.

Syphilis can also be passed on:

• to an unborn baby during pregnancy, known as congenital syphilis
• by sharing needles used to inject drugs with someone who has syphilis
• through a blood or organ transplant, though this is extremely rare since all blood and organ donations are checked for syphilis

Having syphilis also makes it easier to catch or pass on HIV.

The number of syphilis cases in Scotland has risen sharply over the past 5 years. Your risk may be higher if you:

• are a man who has sex with men
• have had sex while travelling overseas
• have had multiple sexual partners

Safer sex is the best way to lower your risk of STIs. This means using a condom every time you have vaginal, anal or oral sex.

Other STIs to check for

If you've been diagnosed with syphilis, you should also get tested for other STIs, including:

• HIV
• chlamydia
• gonorrhoea

Syphilis is more common among people living with HIV, so an HIV test should be offered to you as well. If you've been diagnosed with syphilis but no one has offered you an HIV test, you can:

• ask your healthcare provider directly for an HIV test
• use one of the free testing options available to you

Testing for HIV alongside syphilis helps catch problems early, so treatment can start sooner and the risk of passing the infection on is reduced.

When seeking help or advice, don't share personal details such as your name, location or any health conditions you have.