Prevention of Syphilis

Prevention list: Methods of prevention of Syphilis mentioned in various sources includes those listed below. This prevention information is gathered from various sources, and may be inaccurate or incomplete. None of these methods guarantee prevention of Syphilis.

• Safe sex
• Monogamy
• Condoms
• Pregnancy screening for syphilis - avoids congenital syphilis in the newborn.

Prevention of Syphilis: The open sores of syphilis may be visible and infectious during the active stages of infection. Any contact with these infectious sores and other infected tissues and body fluids must be avoided to prevent spread of the disease. As with many other STDs, methods of prevention include using condoms during sexual intercourse. Screening and treatment of infected individuals, or secondary prevention, is one of the few options for preventing the advance stages of the disease. Testing and treatment early in pregnancy is the best way to prevent syphilis in infants and should be a routine part of prenatal care. ¹

The bacterium spreads from the sores of an infected person to the mucous membranes of the genital area, the mouth, or the anus of a sexual partner; it can also pass through broken skin on other parts of the body. The syphilis bacterium is very fragile and is rarely, if ever, spread by contact with objects such as toilet seats or towels. An infected pregnant woman can pass the bacterium to her unborn child, who may be born with serious mental and physical problems as a result of this infection. The most common way to get syphilis is through sexual intercourse with an infected individual. As is the case for other STDs, high risk factors for contracting syphilis include having multiple sex partners, having sexual relations with an infected partner, having a history of STDs, and not using condoms. You can protect yourself from contracting syphilis by avoiding contact with infectious sores and other infected tissues and body fluids of syphilitic individuals. As with many other STDS, likelihood of infection is reduced with limiting the number of sex partners and using condoms during sexual intercourse. Scientists are also working on a vaccine.²

Footnotes:
1. excerpt from Syphilis, NIAID Fact Sheet: NIAID
2. excerpt from Syphilis: NWHIC

Last revision: June 18, 2003

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