Syphilis

Basic Info

What is syphilis?

• Syphilis is a sexually acquired infection
• In the UK syphilis infection is relatively uncommon. However, in recent years the numbers of cases diagnosed in men and women has increased.
• The condition is especially significant in pregnant women where infection can cause miscarriage, still birth, or foetal abnormality.

Who gets syphilis?

• Anyone who has sex can get syphilis. People most at risk are those having unprotected sexual intercourse (i.e. not using a condom), those with more than one sexual partner, and those who change partners frequently.

How do you catch syphilis?

• Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection. It is caught through unprotected vaginal, oral or anal intercourse or genital contact with an infected partner.
• An infected person may have no symptoms, but still transmit the infection without knowing.
• Syphilis cannot be caught by casual contact (toilet seats, swimming pools and saunas).
• A pregnant woman with infectious syphilis can pass the infection to her foetus via the placenta or during birth.