Home Syphilis Test

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that’s becoming more common in the UK, with 2023 seeing the most cases of the infection since the 1930s. It is both preventable and curable with the right protection and treatment, but if left untreated, it can lead to serious complications and health issues.

Syphilis is a bacterial infection, which means it is caused by a type of bacteria, in this case, Treponema pallidum. Syphilis is usually passed on through:

• sex, but it can also be transmitted via blood transfusions
• pregnancy and childbirth
• skin-to-skin contact with any active sores caused by the infection

As syphilis is a bacterial infection, it’s very treatable with the right antibiotics, but you can also prevent it and limit its spread by practising safe sex and getting tested regularly.

Syphilis symptoms

The symptoms of syphilis can take 10 to 90 days to develop, and they may be mild or even unnoticeable, which can lead to it spreading faster as people do not realise they have the infection. When it does cause symptoms, these are usually:

• small sores on your penis, vagina, or anus – usually, these are painless, and you may only get one
• sores around your mouth, lips, and hands
• white or grey wart-like growths, usually around your penis, vagina or anus
• rashes around your palms or the soles of your feet, but this can spread over the whole body, normally not itchy
• white patches in your mouth
• high temperature
• headaches
• tiredness
• swollen glands
• hair loss

Stages of syphilis

Syphilis appears in stages called the primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary stages. If left untreated, it can develop into neurosyphilis, ocular syphilis, and otosyphilis, which can have severe impacts on your health.

Primary stage

This is the first stage of syphilis, and it usually presents as a single sore or multiple sores, and they’re usually found where the syphilis infection started. This is most often around the:

• penis
• vagina
• anus
• rectum
• lips or in the mouth

Syphilis sores tend to be round, firm and painless, so they often go unnoticed. They last for around 3 to 6 weeks and can heal or disappear whether you have treatment or not. This is important, as even if syphilis sores go away, you still need to get treatment.

Secondary stage

At secondary stage, syphilis causes rashes and/or more sores around your mouth, anus or vagina. This rash is most commonly found on your palms or the soles of your feet but can show up anywhere on your body. It usually occurs when sores from the primary stage are healing. A syphilis rash doesn’t tend to be itchy, and it’s usually rough and a red or brown colour.

During the secondary stage, you may also experience symptoms like:

• fever
• swollen lymph glands
• sore throat
• patchy hair loss
• headaches
• weight loss
• muscle aches
• fatigue (feeling very tired)

Again, these symptoms can go away on their own with or without treatment, but this doesn’t mean you’ve recovered. Even if these symptoms go away, you still need treatment.

Latent stage

At this stage, syphilis usually has no symptoms, and the infection can stay in your body for years without you realising it.

Tertiary stage

While most people won’t develop tertiary syphilis, it can affect a majority of your organs and cause severe health issues. It can affect your heart, blood vessels, brain and nervous system and may not occur until 10 to 30 years after your initial infection. Tertiary syphilis can be diagnosed through a range of tests and requires immediate treatment.

Neurosyphilis, ocular syphilis, and otosyphilis

Neurosyphilis is when syphilis spreads to your brain. Its symptoms include:

• severe headaches
• muscle weakness
• changes to your mental state (trouble focusing, confusion, personality changes) or dementia (problems with memory, thinking, and/or decision-making)

Ocular syphilis is when syphilis spreads to your eyes. Its symptoms include:

• eye pain
• redness
• changes in your vision
• blindness

Otosyphilis is when syphilis spreads to and affects your hearing. Its symptoms include:

• hearing loss
• ringing in your ears (tinnitus)
• dizziness
• vertigo

If you do notice symptoms like this, or you’ve had unprotected sex and may have been exposed to an STI, it’s vital to get tested as soon as possible. If left untreated, syphilis can lead to potentially life-threatening health issues.

A home syphilis test is a test kit you can buy and use at home to test for syphilis without going to a clinic, doctor, or pharmacy. You use it to collect a blood sample at home, which you post to a laboratory for analysis. After analysis, you’ll receive your test results and information on what to do next.

These tests are extremely accurate, and they’re especially helpful for discreet testing in the privacy of your home.

If you think you’ve been exposed to syphilis or have any symptoms of syphilis, you should consider getting tested as quickly as possible. You should also consider getting tested if:

• you’ve recently had unprotected sex with a new partner
• have sex with multiple partners
• are sexually active
• have another sexually transmitted disease (e.g. chlamydia, gonorrhoea)

Risk groups

Certain groups of people are considered more at risk of contracting syphilis or can have an additional risk of complications if they develop a severe syphilis infection. If you are in one of these groups, you should consider getting tested regularly and make sure you practice safe sex. These risk groups include:

• people who are pregnant or are planning to become pregnant – in 2023, 41.3% of pregnancies with syphilis required treatment
• people who inject drugs with a needle or share needles
• people who have multiple sex partners
• people who are gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) – in 2018, 75% of new syphilis diagnoses in England were among this group
• people who have an HIV infection and are sexually active
• people who are in racial/ethnic and sexual minority groups

Why should I get tested for syphilis?

You should get tested for syphilis because:

1. You can spread it easily

Syphilis can be asymptomatic (not cause symptoms), and it can be tough to tell if you have an infection or not. This makes it easy to spread syphilis without realising it, especially if you’re having sex with multiple partners.

2. It can worsen if left untreated

When left untreated, it can lead to severe health issues. It’s also important to remember that while the symptoms of syphilis can die down or even go away completely, the infection will remain in your body until you get treatment.

“Testing for syphilis is the only way to know for certain you have the condition. It’s vital to get tested if you’ve been exposed to get answers and treatment. With treatment, syphilis can be dealt with quickly and effectively.” – Dr Brenda Ikeji, Medical Editor

You should test for syphilis within 3 to 4 weeks of being exposed to an infection, but you may also need to get a test after 90 days to get the most accurate results. This is because syphilis has an incubation period that can last from 10 to 90 days, so there’s a chance a test may not detect an infection during this time.

This test is a blood sample test, so you need to collect a small amount of blood for analysis.

You will receive full instructions explaining precisely how to do this with your test. You will do this using a lancet, which you will use to prick your finger, causing it to bleed slightly. From here, you collect your sample and return it to our lab.

Taking your at-home test

1. Wash your hands thoroughly using warm, soapy water.
2. Choose a finger from which you want to collect blood (we recommend using a finger from your non-dominant hand, in case your finger hurts afterwards).
3. Open the collection tube and place it nearby for when you collect your sample.
4. Sanitise your chosen finger by wiping it with the provided alcohol swab.
5. Take out the lancet, and twist and pull the purple stick. This test kit comes with multiple lancets, so you can attempt the test again if you make a mistake or it doesn’t work.
6. Place the end of the lancet against your fingertip and press the purple button. You will feel a sharp scratch on your finger. Afterwards, you should notice a small droplet of blood if you’ve done this correctly. If not, you can try again with a spare lancet.
7. Wipe away the first drop of blood using a tissue.
8. Aim your finger downwards over the collection tube and squeeze it gently to allow blood to fall into the tube.
9. Continue to fill the tube until it reaches the line shown. If you can not produce enough blood to fill the tube to the line, you can use a spare lancet to prick your finger to try again and continue.
10. Seal the collection tube securely and fill out the label to attach to your sample.
11. Place the tube inside the provided wallet before placing it in the prepaid envelope.
12. Your sample is now ready to be posted to the lab for analysis.

Remember to follow the instructions included with your test kit to get the most accurate results. If you are concerned about taking your test or have any questions, contact our Patient Care team for more information.

When taken correctly and at the right time, our home syphilis test kit is over 99% accurate. Home testing is considered to be just as accurate as getting tested in sexual health clinics, provided they’re used correctly.

Our doctors will provide a full results report and information on what to do next within 2 to 3 days of your sample reaching our partner laboratory. You will receive your results discreetly and securely via your patient account. Our doctors will be available if you have questions about your results or need more support. If your results are inconclusive or you need a repeat test, our doctors will let you know what to do.

Our service is fully confidential and secure. We'll only contact you directly about your results through your patient account.

Your results will be explained to you by our doctors when you receive them, and if you have any questions about them, you can message them directly.

Negative result

1. If your result shows as negative, this means our test did not detect a syphilis infection at the time of testing. However, if you tested quite soon after exposure, there is a chance that the test would not detect an infection.
2. We recommend taking a repeat test 90 days after exposure to make sure.
3. During this time, you should use a condom and practice safe sex to minimise the risk of spreading an infection.

Positive result

1. If your result shows as positive, this means you have syphilis.
2. Your doctor will tell you what to do next and how to get treatment.
3. You should inform any recent partners of your diagnosis so they can get tested and treated, too.

Syphilis is treatable and curable with antibiotics. While we do not provide syphilis treatment ourselves, our doctors will advise you on how to get treated. This can be provided by your local GP or sexual health clinic. You can find your nearest sexual health clinic via the NHS.

We understand that getting diagnosed with an STI can be difficult and daunting, but we are here to help and support you.