STD: The Facts
The following information was provided in part by the Medical Institute for Sexual Health. For more information please visit their website at www.medinstitute.org.

NOTE: If you have been sexually active or you think you may have been exposed to a sexually transmitted disease, see your physician for a complete medical exam.
Syphilis
  • Syphilis is a highly contagious STD that's caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum
  • Syphilis is passed during oral, vaginal or anal sex through direct contact with highly infectious sores or patches that are usually on the genitals or mouth. Infected pregnant girls can also pass it on to their babies, causing major birth defects or miscarriages.
  • Am I safe if I always use a condom or switch to oral sex?
    Not really. Even if you use a condom exactly as directed 100% of the time when you have sex, you only reduce your chance of getting syphilis from an infected partner by about 30% to 50%. Syphilis is also easy to transmit through oral sex. In fact, oral sex appears to have played a major role in syphilis transmission in many recent outbreaks.
  • You may get a painless ulcer (chancre) that goes away in a few weeks (primary syphilis). In people with untreated primary syphilis, the bacteria spreads through the blood stream, causing flu-like symptoms and a rash (secondary syphilis). If untreated, people with secondary syphilis may end up with tertiary syphilis, which can cause paralysis, blindness and conditions that can lead to the rupture of major blood vessels and death.
  • Antibiotics can cure most syphilis infections and prevent further damage. However, they will not repair any damage already done.