Syphilis

Summary

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by bacteria. It infects the genital area, lips, mouth, or anus of both men and women. You usually get syphilis from sexual contact with someone who has it. It can also pass from mother to baby during pregnancy.

The early stage of syphilis usually causes a single, small, painless sore. Sometimes it causes swelling in nearby lymph nodes. If you do not treat it, syphilis usually causes a non-itchy skin rash, often on your hands and feet. Many people do not notice symptoms for years. Symptoms can go away and come back.

The sores caused by syphilis make it easier to get or give someone HIV during sex. If you are pregnant, syphilis can cause complications, or you could lose your baby. In rare cases, syphilis causes serious health problems and even death.

Syphilis is easy to cure with antibiotics if you catch it early. Correct usage of latex condoms greatly reduces, but does not completely eliminate, the risk of catching or spreading syphilis. If your or your partner is allergic to latex, you can use polyurethane condoms. The most reliable way to avoid infection is to not have anal, vaginal, or oral sex.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Find an Expert

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Related Issues

• Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Syphilis American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
• Neurosyphilis National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Syphilis National Institutes of Health

Patient Handouts

• Condom Fact Sheet in Brief Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Congenital syphilis Medical Encyclopedia
• CSF-VDRL test Medical Encyclopedia
• FTA-ABS test Medical Encyclopedia
• Neurosyphilis Medical Encyclopedia
• RPR test Medical Encyclopedia
• Syphilis Medical Encyclopedia
• VDRL test Medical Encyclopedia

Encyclopedia

• General paresis Medical Encyclopedia
• Gumma Medical Encyclopedia
• Interstitial keratitis Medical Encyclopedia
• Syphilitic aseptic meningitis Medical Encyclopedia
• Tabes dorsalis Medical Encyclopedia

Images

• Primary Syphilis VisualDX

Journal Articles

• Syphilis

Teenagers

• Syphilis Nemours Foundation

Women

• Syphilis Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health
• Syphilis in Pregnancy March of Dimes Foundation

Statistics and Research

• Syphilis National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
• Syphilis Statistics Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Start Here

• Syphilis Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Syphilis American Academy of Family Physicians
• Syphilis Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

Children

• Syphilis American Academy of Pediatrics

Men

• Syphilis and MSM (Men Who Have Sex with Men) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Diagnosis and Tests

• Syphilis Tests National Library of Medicine

Specifics

• Tabes Dorsalis National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke