Early symptoms of syphilis

Written by Huang Ling Juan
Dermatology
Updated on November 30, 2024
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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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Written by Zhu Zhu
Dermatology
37sec home-news-image

Can tertiary syphilis be contagious?

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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Can third stage syphilis be detected?

Third-stage syphilis can be detected. Syphilis is divided into primary, secondary, and tertiary stages, with the severity progressively increasing from the primary to tertiary stage, making tertiary syphilis a relatively advanced and serious condition. It can be detected by measuring the titers in serum, although the titers in tertiary syphilis may be lower than in the primary and secondary stages, and may sometimes present as negative. However, through the symptoms of tertiary syphilis, particularly some complications affecting the skin, cardiovascular system, bones, joints, and other organs, combined with the titer levels, it can definitely be detected.

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Written by Huang Ling Juan
Dermatology
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Can syphilis patients have children?

Syphilis patients can have children. After regular treatment, syphilis patients can conceive and bear children normally. After being treated for syphilis, the RPR test can become negative, indicating that there are no live syphilis spirochetes in the body and no infectivity. At this point, pregnancy is not affected. Some pregnant women, after treatment, can block mother-to-child transmission and prevent the spread of syphilis, which is a systemic sexually transmitted disease caused by infection with the syphilis spirochete. If a woman infected with syphilis becomes pregnant without undergoing standard syphilis treatment, the syphilis spirochete can infect the fetus through the placenta, leading to fetal disease. Some may experience stillbirth, miscarriage, premature birth, or even the birth of a child with congenital syphilis. Therefore, it is recommended that syphilis patients undergo standard treatment to cure syphilis before becoming pregnant.

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Written by Zhang Xiu Rong
Obstetrics and Gynecology
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Which department should women go to for syphilis testing?

For female syphilis screening, one generally needs to visit the department of venereal diseases, where hospitals with such departments conduct syphilis tests. The test for syphilis involves a blood draw for the RPR syphilis virus test. Through this testing, one can determine whether they have contracted syphilis. If a syphilis infection is detected, it is essential to choose the appropriate medication based on the test results for targeted treatment. Generally, both AIDS and syphilis fall under the purview of the venereal disease department. Therefore, if you wish to undergo syphilis testing, you must visit the venereal disease department of a hospital for the relevant examinations. Typically, there is an incubation period, and if the results are completely negative after three months, it generally means there is no significant concern.

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Written by Zhu Zhu
Dermatology
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Will third-stage syphilis be asymptomatic?

In the case of third-stage syphilis, it is generally not asymptomatic, as it is already a late stage of the disease that invades multiple systems, such as the musculoskeletal system, nervous system, and even the cardiovascular system. When these systems are invaded, they become damaged, leading to various complications. Therefore, third-stage syphilis typically presents with various signs of organ dysfunction, and it is unlikely to be without any symptoms once it has progressed to this stage.