3 minutes read3 minutes readWhen we’re worried about STIs, we tend to search for certainty—which symptoms determine which infection, and how long it will take to know when we’re infected?
This is completely normal since we are wired to seek safety and security. If we know what we’re dealing with, we can respond appropriately.
One query our phone lines have come across recently revolves around Syphilis – namely, whether this STI can be transmitted if the infected person doesn’t have the characteristic “Syphilis sore”.
This is a fascinating topic. To learn more and keep yourself safe, keep reading.
What is Syphilis?
Syphilis is a bacterial infection caused by a bacterium called Treponema pallidum. These bacteria transmit from person to person through sex and other blood-to-blood contact, such as by sharing needles.
Once thought to be an infection of the past, going the way of smallpox and the plague, Syphilis has made a resurgence in recent years as the bacteria gains more antibiotic resistance and people become less concerned about its transmission, thinking it’s so uncommon. This STI is one of the most common in Australia.
If left untreated, Syphilis can cause a host of negative health outcomes. It has an uncanny ability to remain latent in your body for long periods of time, all while causing damage to vital organ systems like the brain, heart, bones, eyes, and nervous system. In its more advanced stages, Syphilis can cause blindness, deafness, heart disease, and even death.
What is a Syphilis sore?
In the initial stages of a Syphilis infection, the infected person may develop a sore or ulcer at the site of infection – usually the genitals, anus, or mouth. These sores are known as chancres.
Chancres tend to be firm, round, and painless. Although the size of the chancre can vary from person to person, it tends to be fairly small, and because of this, it often goes unnoticed. An infected person can have one or several chancres.
Chancres usually appear within 10 days of contracting the infection but can appear as late as 90 days after getting it. They tend to go away three to six weeks after they first appear.
The appearance of chancres is usually followed several weeks later by other symptoms, such as:
- A skin rash on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet
- Sore throat
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Muscles aches
- Headaches
- Swollen lymph nodes
These symptoms usually resolve within a few days. After that, if left untreated, the infection enters its latent stage, where it slowly damages various organ systems.
How contagious are you when you have Syphilis?
Syphilis is very contagious and is easily passed between people through sexual activity, especially unprotected vaginal, anal, and oral sex.
Person-to-person contact with a chancre is one of the most effective ways of contracting the infection. Although genital-to-genital contact is most often the case, any physical contact with the chancre could spread the infection.
If you don’t have a Syphilis sore, are you still contagious?
One of the things that makes STIs so pernicious is their ability to go undetected. Most STIs don’t cause any symptoms, and many cause symptoms that are so mild they go unnoticed or are confused with other, less serious infections.
Just because you do not notice any symptoms of an STI doesn’t mean you don’t have one. That’s why all sexually active people need to get tested regularly.
What is the treatment for Syphilis?
Syphilis is treated using antibiotics – usually penicillin in the form of an injection. Syphilis infections are simple to cure when they’re caught in the early stages. More developed cases of Syphilis may require a longer course of antibiotics.
How long will you be contagious after treatment?
Syphilis can be contagious for a short time after treatment. Most people may need to wait a week or more after they finish treatment before they can think of engaging in any sexual activity. Engaging in sexual activity before this time may result in spreading the infection.
Some people may wish to get added testing after treatment to ensure they’re free of the infection. This is to ensure the treatment has been effective and that they are no longer contagious.
Final thoughts
If you suspect you may have an STI, or you think you may have been exposed to one, you should get tested.
Call the number at the top of this page to speak to one of Better2Know’s trained Sexual Health Advisors. They can talk to you about your situation and help you come up with a plan of action that will protect your sexual health.
Or, if you would like to book an appointment online, click the button below to secure a sexual health screening at a clinic near you.
