Syphilis Test

Syphilis is an infection, often sexually transmitted, disease caused by the bacteria treponema pallidum.  The syphilis test (RPR test) is a simple blood test.

Cause: The bacteria penetrate chafed skin or the mucous membranes. Transmission most often occurs when one person comes into contact with lesions on an infected person through sexual activity. Men are more vulnerable to contracting syphilis than women.

Symptoms of Syphilis: Syphilis may progress through 3 distinct stages. Sometimes not all 3 may be evident. 

Primary Phase: Usually starts with a sore at the site of infection. This sore or lesion is called a chancre. The chancre usually appears as a craterlike lesion on the male and female genitals, although any part of the body is at risk. This initial lesion develops 3-4 weeks after infection and heals spontaneously after 1 week. Though the sore goes away, the disease does not. It progresses into the secondary phase. 

Secondary Phase: May develop 4-10 weeks after the chancre appeared. This phase has many symptoms, which is way syphilis is called the great pretender. It may look like a number of other illnesses. This phase of syphilis can go away without treatment, but the disease then enters the third phase. These are the most frequently reported symptoms of the secondary phase: fever, joint pain, muscle aches, sore throat, flu-like symptoms, whole-body rash (usually involving the palms/soles), headaches, decreased appetite, patchy hair loss, and swollen lymph nodes. 

Latent (dormant) Phase: The early latent phase (first 1-2 years) is characterized by occasional relapse back to symptoms of the secondary phase of syphilis. More that 2 years after the start of the latent phase, you may have no symptoms and are generally not infections. However, you can still transmit the infection from mother to fetus or through blood transfusions. About a third of people with latent syphilis will progress after many years (or decades) into tertiary syphilis. During this phase, the heart, brain, skin, and bones are at risk.

Problems if Not Treated: Syphilis in the first 2 stages continues to be cured with penicillin-unlike other disease that are becoming resistant to antibiotics. The outlook for people with tertiary syphilis is less optimistic. In on study, 20% of people with cardiovascular syphilis died without antibiotic therapy. More than 60% of the people remain symptom free even without treatment.

If you have any questions regarding our confidential STD testing, call us toll free at 1-888-436-3848.  We can answer your questions or schedule you at one of our local STD testing clinics.

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