About Syphilis
What is syphilis?
It is a curable bacterial infection that spreads easily through unprotected sexual activity.
Is syphilis a serious issue in Wales?
There are increasing numbers of cases of syphilis in Wales, so it is becoming more common than before.
Syphilis can be a very serious infection if not treated, it will not go away without medication.
Having syphilis could make it easier for someone to contract or pass on HIV.
Who has syphilis in Wales?
Anyone who has had unprotected sex could catch syphilis. Syphilis is more common in men who have sex with men, but there are more people being diagnosed with this infection who are not part of this group.
It is possible to catch syphilis from any sexual activity, including oral sex.
How can I tell if someone has syphilis?
It is unlikely that you will be able to tell if someone has syphilis. Someone can have syphilis and not know it. While some people develop visible symptoms of syphilis infection, others don’t. The only way to know if you or your partners have syphilis is to get tested. You can order a test for syphilis here. It can take some time between getting infected and testing positive, for syphilis this is 12 weeks, meaning you should ensure you are testing 12 weeks after your last risk to ensure your syphilis result is accurate. If you are having multiple partners or new partners on a regular basis, you should test regularly to ensure you are covering your window period. We would recommend every 3-6 months if you are having regular high risk sex.
Many people will have no symptoms, and not know that they are infected. For those that do develop symptoms they are:
Stage 1: A small painless ulcer that can appear in the mouth or on the genitals. This can be an easy symptom to miss, as you can’t feel that it is there. This sore will heal and go away by itself. This does not mean you have healed the infection.
Stage 2: A rash can appear on the body, this symptom is more difficult to miss, but easily mistaken for many other conditions. The rash will heal by itself, this does not mean you have healed the infection
After this symptom, you may not see any further symptoms for a long time. You are still infectious to others during this time, and the infection is still able to do harm to you.
If left untreated, syphilis can have serious consequences for your health. It can result in visual impairment, dementia, and death. None of these will happen if you receive treatment for syphilis.
Syphilis is very serious to pregnant people and can result in miscarriages, still births and infant mortality. You will be offered testing during pregnancy and if you are found to be positive you will be offered treatment, the treatment is safe for both you and your unborn baby.
How can you get syphilis?
Syphilis is transmitted during unprotected oral, vaginal or anal sex. It can also be passed on through sharing sex toys.
It is possible to transmit syphilis from mother to baby.
How do I protect myself from syphilis?
Always use a condom. You can get free condoms here. Condoms are the best way to protect yourself and others from syphilis and other STIs.
If you haven’t liked using condoms in the past try different ones, there are many different varieties now designed to increase pleasure and sensation. You can contact our Sexual Health advisers to discuss condom use here: PHW.SexualHealth@wales.nhs.uk.
It is important to test regularly if you are having unprotected sex. If you’ve had syphilis once, you can get it again – and again. That’s why it’s important to get tested regularly, especially if you have a lot of casual sex.
If I think I’ve put myself at risk of syphilis what should I do?
You can seek testing here. You can also contact our health advising team for advice here PHW.SexualHealth@wales.nhs.uk.
You can also attend your local sexual health clinic. You can find details of your local service here.
Where can I go for advice and support about if I am worried about syphilis?
If you would like more advice or support you can contact our health adviser team on PHW.SexualHealth@wales.nhs.uk.
You can also contact your local sexual health service.
You can also access help and support here: https://www.tht.org.uk/sexual-health
What are the benefits of getting tested for syphilis?
- Syphilis is curable, but you can only access treatment if you have tested positive for the infection.
- You can catch syphilis more than once, so even if you’ve been treated for it before, you will still benefit from testing.
Does syphilis increase the risk of getting or passing on HIV?
Yes. If you have had unprotected sex you could catch any STI. Having an STI in addition to HIV can make you more likely to pass on HIV. Using condoms will help to protect yourself and your partners, you can order condoms here.
If you’re HIV-positive and you have syphilis, this can increase your ‘viral load’ (a measure of HIV in your blood) increasing the risk of HIV transmission to others.
Testing and self-testing
If you have any symptoms, you should contact your local sexual health clinic or GP for advice.
We offer a safe and reliable NHS self-testing service which you can order using our website here. You must be a Welsh resident to access this testing service.
There are other private self-testing services available online and on the high street. Before using one of these self-test kits, make sure it has a CE quality assurance mark. This means that, provided you use it correctly, the kit will work properly and is safe.
No self-test kit is 100% reliable, and a CE mark is still no guarantee that a particular home test is suitable for you. If you do a self-test for syphilis and the result is positive, it’s important that you contact a health professional as soon as possible and get the support you need.