How Is Syphilis Treated? healthren.com

If you've been infected for less than a year, a single dose of penicillin is usually enough to destroy the infection. For those allergic to penicillin, tetracycline or doxycycline can be given instead. If you are in a later stage of disease, more doses will be needed. healthren.com

People who are being treated for syphilis must abstain from sexual contact until the infection is completely gone. Sexual partners of people with syphilis should be tested and, if necessary, treated.

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What Happens If I Don't Get Treated? healthren.com

If syphilis is left untreated, it can cause serious and permanent problems such as dementia, blindness or death.

How Does Syphilis Affect a Pregnant Woman and Her Baby? healthren.com

Depending on how long a pregnant woman has been infected, she has a good chance of having a stillbirth (birth of an infant who has died prior to delivery) or of giving birth to a baby who dies shortly after birth.

If not treated immediately, an infected baby may be born without symptoms but could develop them within a few weeks. These signs and symptoms can be very serious. Untreated babies may become developmentally delayed, have seizures or die. healthren.com

How Can I Prevent Infection? healthren.com

To reduce your risk of infection:

• Avoid intimate contact with a person you know is infected
• If you do not know if a sexual partner is infected, use a condom in every sexual encounter

What Is the Outlook for People With Syphilis?

Syphilis is a curable disease with prompt diagnosis and treatment. However, if treated too late, there may be permanent damage to the heart and brain even after the infection is destroyed.

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