What is Syphilis?
Overview
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by bacteria that can lead to serious health problems if it is not treated. It develops in stages—primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary—and each stage can have different signs and symptoms.
Syphilis can also be passed from a pregnant person to their baby, which can lead to serious health complications. The good news is that syphilis is curable with antibiotics, especially when it is found and treated early.
Symptoms
Syphilis develops in stages, and each stage can have different symptoms. Some symptoms may be mild or go unnoticed, so testing is important to detect and treat syphilis early.
Primary Stage
A painless sore (called a chancre) may appear where the infection entered the body, such as the genitals, mouth, or anus. The sore can heal on its own, but the infection is still present.
Secondary Stage
Symptoms may include a rash (often on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet), as well as fever, swollen lymph nodes, sore throat, fatigue, and muscle aches. These symptoms may also go away without treatment but your infection will move to the latent or tertiary stages.
Latent Stage
There are no visible symptoms during this stage, but the infection remains in the body.
Tertiary Stage
If untreated, syphilis can cause serious damage to the heart, brain, and other organs many years later. This can also lead to death.
How it spreads
HIV is spread through certain body fluids entering the body. These include blood and sexual fluids.
HIV is most commonly spread through:
Vaginal or anal sex without protection
Sharing needles, syringes, or injection equipment
Blood exposure
It can also be passed:
From parent to child during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding
HIV is not spread through casual contact like hugging, sharing food, or using the same bathroom.
Prevention
There are several effective ways to reduce the risk of HIV:
Using condoms correctly every time you have sex
Taking PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), a daily medication that helps prevent HIV
Taking PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) after a possible exposure
Not sharing needles or injection equipment
Getting tested regularly and knowing your status
People living with HIV who are on treatment and have an undetectable viral load cannot pass HIV to others through sex.
Testing
Testing and Treatment
Getting tested is the only way to know your HIV status. Because HIV may not cause symptoms for a long time, testing is an important step in protecting your health.
HIV testing is simple and can be done with a blood test or a quick oral (mouth swab) test
Some tests can detect HIV as early as a few weeks after exposure
Testing is often available at clinics including Denver Indian Health and Family Services, community health centers, and free or low-cost testing sites
It is recommended that everyone get tested at least once, and more often if they may have ongoing risk.
Knowing your status helps you:
Start treatment early if positive
Take steps to stay negative if negative
Protect your partners and your community
Treatment
While there is no cure for HIV, it can be effectively managed with daily medication called antiretroviral therapy (ART).
ART lowers the amount of virus in the body (viral load)
It helps protect the immune system and prevents serious illness
Treatment should be started as soon as possible after diagnosis
With consistent treatment, many people reach an undetectable viral load, which means:
The virus is so low it cannot be detected by standard tests
HIV cannot be passed to others through sex (Undetectable = Untransmittable, or U=U)
People living with HIV who stay on treatment can live long, healthy lives.