Syphilis Test Kit

The test used to determine whether you have syphilis is a blood test. It is a convenient way to test your syphilis status without having to see a doctor.

About the syphilis test kit:

• Your kit will contain 3 lances and a collection tube
• You will provide a sample of blood from your finger
• The sample will be used to test if you have syphilis

Your results will be provided to you via your account. They should be ready within 2-3 days of the laboratory receiving your sample.

What does the test look for?

If you have syphilis, you will have been infected with a bacterium called Treponema pallidum. As a result, your body will produce antibodies (a form of protein) to try to fight the infection which will be present in your bloodstream. Therefore, your blood sample will be tested for the antibody to diagnose the infection.

You are at risk of being infected with syphilis if you have:

• had unprotected vaginal, oral or anal sex
• shared sex toys
• injected drugs and shared needles with an infected person

Syphilis infections have different stages and each stage can have different symptoms. Sometimes you can have no obvious symptoms at all. The possible symptoms include:

Primary syphilis symptoms:

• A small painless sore called a ‘chancre’ found on the penis, vagina or around the anus
• If you have had sexual contact it may appear on the fingers, mouth, lips or buttocks
• Your glands in your neck, groin or armpits may swell

Secondary syphilis symptoms:

• A blotchy red rash often on the palms or soles of your feet
• White patches in your mouth
• Growths like genital warts on the vulva or around the anus
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Joint pain
• Headaches
• Patchy hair loss

The primary symptoms of syphilis will usually go away within eight weeks but this does not mean the infection has gone. If you don’t receive treatment, the infection will develop into the secondary stage, known as secondary syphilis.

Secondary syphilis symptoms will also disappear, but before then they may come and go. However, even though the symptoms may have disappeared you will still be infected. This is called latent syphilis and can last for decades. If you leave syphilis untreated it can lead to serious health problems. Therefore, if you suspect there is a possibility you have been infected, you should get tested straight away.

You should consider testing as soon as you think you may have been infected with syphilis. However, it can take up to 13 weeks for syphilis to show up on a test after you catch it, so if you have a test earlier than 13 weeks and it comes up negative for syphilis, you should repeat it again after 13 weeks.

If you put off being tested and you do have the infection, you can be putting yourself and other people you infect at risk of further complications. If left untreated, syphilis can go on to damage your heart, brain, nervous system and bones even years after the initial infection.

The later stage of syphilis can lead to:

• heart problems
• blindness
• stroke
• dementia
• loss of coordination

If your results are positive and you have syphilis, you should:

• inform all your sexual partners that you have syphilis so they can get tested
• get treatment for the infection at your local sexual health clinic
• avoid all sexual contact until two weeks after your treatment has ended

If your results are negative, you should:

• get retested if you think you may have very recently been infected because the infection may not show in the very early stages
• practice safe sex in the future
• if you’re an injecting drug user, avoid sharing needles

If you have syphilis, you will be treated with a short course of antibiotics. Treatment is essential because the infection rarely goes away on its own.

Antibiotics are usually enough for treating the infection, but the type of antibiotics you will be prescribed will depend on how long you have had syphilis for:

• If you have had syphilis for less than two years, you will either be injected with penicillin or prescribed up to 14 days of antibiotic tablets if you are unable to take penicillin
• For syphilis which has lasted for over two years, you will usually need three penicillin injections or a 28-day course of antibiotic tablets

You can get treatment from:

• A genitourinary medicine (GUM) or sexual health clinic
• Your doctor’s surgery

You should avoid having sex or sexual contact until two weeks after you and your partner(s) have finished initial treatment and any further follow-up treatment.

If you or your partner have any sores or rashes, you should avoid any sexual contact until these have fully healed, and also at least two weeks after treatment has ended.