Can tertiary syphilis be contagious?

Written by Zhu Zhu
Dermatology
Updated on November 18, 2024
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Third-stage syphilis is contagious. Although the titers in third-stage syphilis might be lower than those in the first and second stages, it still has the ability to infect others. Moreover, third-stage syphilis can easily lead to many complications, affecting other tissues and organs of the body. Therefore, third-stage syphilis is very serious. Once third-stage syphilis occurs, one must be particularly vigilant, seek timely treatment in a reputable hospital early, enhance their immunity, and avoid having a history of unprotected sexual activity.

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Written by Zhu Zhu
Dermatology
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Does tertiary syphilis have titers?

If one is suffering from stage three syphilis, syphilis titers will be present. However, syphilis titers do not always correlate directly with the severity of the condition. It is possible for the titers in stage one and two syphilis to be higher than in stage three. It's often the case that stage three syphilis represents the late stages of the disease, and the titers might decrease as the disease progresses into these later stages. Examples include titers such as 1:8 or 1:4, although some patients might exhibit titers of 1:16.

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Written by Zhu Zhu
Dermatology
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Can third-stage syphilis be completely cured?

Whether tertiary syphilis can be completely cured depends on the specific conditions of different patients. If tertiary syphilis has not caused serious complications, then timely and standard syphilis treatment at this stage can potentially lead to a cure. However, if it has been a long time and the condition has been neglected, it might cause severe damage to tissue and organ functions and can be life-threatening. At this point, it cannot be completely cured; even using anti-inflammatory drugs to treat syphilis cannot reverse the complications and greatly affects the quality of life.

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Written by Zhu Zhu
Dermatology
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Can tertiary syphilis be breastfed?

Syphilis is a common infectious disease caused by the syphilis spirochete, with tertiary syphilis being the most severe and most infectious stage. Therefore, breastfeeding is not allowed if one has tertiary syphilis, as breastfeeding is one of the transmission routes of syphilis. If breastfeeding occurs, syphilis can potentially be transmitted to the child through the breast milk. The breast milk of syphilis patients contains syphilis spirochetes, and if a syphilis patient breastfeeds a child, it essentially means transmitting this pathogen to the newborn through the milk. Thus, syphilis patients are prohibited from breastfeeding.

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Written by Zeng Zhong
Urology
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Can urethritis syphilis recur?

Urethritis and syphilis can both recur. Urethritis is primarily due to bacterial cleansing, leading to inflammatory infection of the urinary tract. If personal hygiene is not maintained, it can cause recurrence of urethritis, or the presence of other urinary system diseases may also lead to its recurrence. A relapse of syphilis refers to the condition where, after treatment, the titer is controlled below 1:4, but during an intermittent observation period, the titer rises again, and the proportion of increase is relatively high. This situation is considered a recurrence of syphilis.

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Written by Xie Ming Feng
Dermatology
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How to test for AIDS and syphilis?

If you have engaged in high-risk sexual behaviors, or suspect that you might have contracted HIV or syphilis for any other reason, then it is necessary to go to a qualified hospital in a timely manner for blood tests to check for syphilis antibodies, syphilis titers, and HIV antibodies. If the syphilis antibody test is positive and the titer is high, timely treatment should be sought. If the HIV antibody test is positive, then it is necessary to visit a disease control center or a medical institution designated by the government for further confirmatory tests to either rule out or confirm HIV infection.