Home Treatment

There is no home treatment for syphilis. It requires medicine prescribed by a doctor. Prescription antibiotic medicine normally cures syphilis infections. Syphilis does not cause long-term problems if it is treated before any complications develop. But syphilis can lead to many complications if it is not treated.

Make sure your partner knows that he or she needs to be treated even if there are no symptoms. You can spread the infection to others even if you do not have symptoms.

Medications

The treatment of syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is complex. If taken properly, antibiotic treatment with penicillin will usually cure a syphilis infection. If syphilis has progressed to the tertiary stage, antibiotics can prevent further complications. But they cannot reverse damage that has already occurred. Prompt antibiotic treatment will decrease complications and prevent the spread of the infection.

Exposed sex partners should be treated for syphilis. The chancres in syphilis can make transmission of HIV more likely. So testing for both syphilis and HIV should be done.

Medication choices

Antibiotics are always used to treat syphilis.

What to think about

In rare cases, the first attempt at treatment does not cure the syphilis infection. Follow-up blood tests are needed to be sure the infection is cured.