Syphilis Testing

The Syphilis test uses a very small blood sample collected at home using a kit that is easy to use and specially designed for the purpose of use in a non-clinical environment. The blood is collected using a finger prick device.

You then send the sample back to our lab in the business reply envelope included with the kit. In most cases, the sample arrives at the lab the following day and your results are available within 4 hours.

Syphilis is detectable as early as 9 days following exposure using this test but it can take up to 21 days to be detectable.

What is Syphilis?

Syphilis is caused by a bacterium: Treponema Pallidum. Syphilis is transmitted through sexual contact. It is also possible for a mother to pass it to her unborn child, which can result in stillbirth or death after birth. The symptoms for this infection can appear anytime within 10 days to three months of acquiring the infection.

Symptoms

There are three stages of syphilis. The primary phase manifests itself as a sore on the genitals, or occasionally near the mouth. The sore is usually painless and lasts for up to six weeks before going away. Lymph glands can become swollen in the neck, armpits and groin.

The secondary phase usually involves a skin rash and sometimes a sore throat, headaches and tiredness. These symptoms can persist for a few weeks before disappearing to be replaced by a latent period. The secondary phase of syphilis can go on for months or even years. These first two stages are when the disease is at its most contagious. During the latent phase the disease cannot be transmitted to others after a period of time but it is thought that it can still be transmitted in the early part of the latent phase.

The tertiary phase occurs in about one third of people who are not treated earlier. This is where the infection can spread throughout the body. It is very serious and can lead to deafness, blindness, paralysis, strokes, dementia, skin rashes and heart disease. Tertiary syphilis can even cause death.

Treatment

The earlier you seek treatment for syphilis, the less the chance of serious and permanent consequences. The normal treatment is an intramuscular injection of penicillin but if this is not possible, there are oral treatments available.