Also known as: VDRL, RPR, FTA, dark-field microscopy
Name: Syphilis tests
Related tests:
Why is the test done?
To check for syphilis infection
When is it done?
If there are symptoms of syphilis infection, if you have other sexually transmitted infections, or if you are pregnant
What samples are required?
A scraping from a sore in the affected area, a venous blood sample or a lumbar puncture, depending on the test to be carried out
What is being tested?
The test is used to detect Treponema pallidum, the bacterium that causes syphilis. Syphilis is a common sexually transmitted disease. It is easily treated but can cause serious problems if left untreated.
How is the sample collected for testing?
There are several testing methods, so different samples are required.
For new infections, the doctor may take a scraping from the sore in the affected area (the cervix, penis, anus or throat).
The doctor may take a venous blood sample for an additional test.
In the latent stages of the disease, the doctor may request a lumbar puncture to assess infection of the nervous system.
How is it used?
When is it requested?
What does the test result mean?
Is there anything else I should know?
How is it used?
The test is used to diagnose syphilis infection in sexually active people. Pregnant women are also tested, and many US states require a blood test for syphilis to obtain a marriage licence, to prevent the spread of the disease to other people, especially newborn babies.
When is it requested?
The doctor may prescribe the test:
• if there are symptoms, such as a sore on the genitals or in the throat;
• if you have been treated for other sexually transmitted diseases, such as gonorrhoea;
• if you are pregnant, because untreated syphilis can infect, and often kill, the developing fetus;
• if you have non-specific symptoms resembling those of syphilis, to establish the exact cause of the illness.
What does the test result mean?
If the scraping shows the presence of the bacterium that causes syphilis (positive test), you have an infection that requires treatment with a course of antibiotics.
The blood test detects the antibodies that the body produces to fight the infection, so a positive test indicates a current or past infection. The blood test may not detect antibodies until three months after infection. In addition, the antibodies remain in the body for years, so if you have had syphilis in the past and have been treated, the test may still be positive. To avoid being treated again unnecessarily, keep a record of your previous treatment and show it to your doctor.
Is there anything else I should know?
Some syphilis tests are not highly specific and may give false-positive results. A positive test should be retested with a more specific method.
If you are sexually active, you should see a doctor about any suspicious irritation or pain in the genital area.
If you have been infected, tell your partner(s) to get tested and treated.
If you have been infected, your risk of catching other sexually transmitted diseases increases, including the risk of infection with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS
1. What are the symptoms of syphilis?
2. What could happen if it is not treated?
3. How is syphilis transmitted?
4. How is it treated?
1. What are the symptoms of syphilis?
The first symptoms of syphilis may not appear quickly. The first stage begins 10 days to 3 months after infection. A sore, called a chancre, appears, usually on the part of the body exposed to the partner’s sore, such as the penis or vagina. The sore may be painless and go unnoticed, and it heals within a few weeks.
2. What could happen if it is not treated?
Secondary syphilis appears three to six weeks after the sore. It shows up as a skin rash that usually clears up within several weeks or months. There may, however, be other symptoms, such as fever and sore throat. If untreated, syphilis may go into a latent stage, during which there are no symptoms and the person is not very contagious. However, about a third of all cases progress to late complications, known as tertiary syphilis. In these cases, the bacterium can damage the heart, eyes, brain, nervous system, spinal cord or several other parts of the body. This stage can last for years, with a final stage mainly involving mental illness, blindness, other neurological problems, heart disease and death.
3. How is syphilis transmitted?
The bacterium is spread by direct contact with a syphilis sore. This usually happens through sexual contact, including vaginal, anal or oral sex. An infected mother can pass the disease to her fetus, with serious and potentially fatal consequences for the baby.
4. How is it treated?
Syphilis can be treated with the antibiotic penicillin. Recent infections can be cured easily. Longer treatment may be needed for a person who has been infected for more than a year.