How Do I Get Tested For Syphilis?

Question: How Do I Get Tested For Syphilis?

Answer:

How a healthcare provider tests for syphilis depends on what stage of the disease you are in.

If you have something that may be a syphilis sore (chancre), the doctor will swab the region and look at the sample under a dark field microscope to see if any Treponema pallidum, the bacteria that cause syphilis, are present.

There is also a blood test for syphilis. The blood test looks for antibodies to the disease. Although this does not directly detect the bacteria, it will let your provider know if you have been infected with syphilis. However, it is important to know that the antibodies can stay around for years after successful treatment of a syphilis infection. Therefore, if you have been previously treated for syphilis, you should let your provider know.

If you are pregnant, you should ask your doctor to perform a blood test for syphilis. Untreated syphilis during pregnancy can be fatal to the developing baby.