Causes and Symptoms
Syphilis is a bacterial infection that is passed through unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sexual intercourse with an infected partner.
Infection can also occur through use of an infected person’s sex toys if they have not been cleaned between uses or they have not used a condom.
It can also be passed from a mother to her unborn baby.
Symptoms usually appear in stages:
Stage 1: A small painless sore can appear on the infected area (vagina, penis, mouth or rectum).
Stage 2: A non-itchy rash on the body appears, usually on the hands and feet with flu like symptoms. Symptoms may come and go, but the underlying infection will remain.
Stage 3: At this stage, serious damage can occur to the body. It is rare for syphilis to reach this stage in the UK.
Treatment
Treatment is through antibiotics.
It is important to remember that antibiotics can affect the effectiveness of certain contraceptives such as The Pill or the contraceptive patch so an alternative method should be used.
You should abstain from sexual intercourse until the treatment is complete to avoid re-infection.
If left untreated, conditions associated with syphilis include heart problems, dementia, stroke, paralysis, and blindness.
