Is syphilis contagious?

Written by Zhai Yu Juan
Dermatology Department
Updated on November 22, 2024
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Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by infection with the syphilis spirochete. After infection, the pathogen can invade various organs throughout the body, causing a variety of symptoms. As a classic sexually transmitted disease, syphilis is contagious, with its main routes of transmission being through sexual contact, mother-to-child transmission, and also through close contact, such as kissing, or the use of daily items from a syphilis patient, such as towels, razors, cutlery, etc. If syphilis is not treated, its infectivity gradually decreases over time.

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Can a routine blood test detect syphilis?

Syphilis is a contagious disease, and we cannot detect syphilis through routine blood tests, as these tests only measure elements such as the number of white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets in the blood. Since syphilis is caused by an infectious agent, it cannot be detected through routine blood tests. It can only be detected by checking for antibodies using methods like ELISA immunofluorescence. Therefore, routine blood tests cannot detect syphilis.

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Early symptoms of syphilis

Syphilis is a chronic, systemic sexually transmitted disease caused by the Treponema pallidum bacterium. It is highly contagious and very harmful. The early symptoms of syphilis usually include the appearance of a chancre. Typically, about three weeks after infection, a hard, painless, round nodule appears at the site of infection. It starts as a reddish, moist spot, then gradually becomes ulcerated and eroded, forming an ulcer. This is an early manifestation of syphilis, known as a chancre. The harm caused by syphilis is very significant. Once syphilis is diagnosed, it is crucial to start treatment early. Early prevention of syphilis is essential, and any early symptoms should be taken very seriously. Treatment can be administered under a doctor's guidance, usually involving the muscle injection of long-acting penicillin. (Under the guidance of a doctor for medication.)

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Can third-stage syphilis be completely cured?

Third-stage syphilis and late-stage syphilis generally have a longer duration, with many cases exceeding two years. Third-stage syphilis can cause damage to the cardiovascular and nervous systems, and there may be residual symptoms after improvement. However, with persistent long-term standard treatment, it is still possible to achieve a cure. Therefore, if one contracts third-stage syphilis, it is crucial to adhere to the treatment and cooperate actively with the therapy.

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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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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.