If my girlfriend is positive for syphilis, should I be treated?

From the Guidelines

Yes, if your girlfriend has tested positive for syphilis, you should seek medical treatment for yourself as well. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection that can be passed between partners through sexual contact. The standard treatment is an injection of benzathine penicillin G, with the specific dosage determined by the stage of infection. If you've had sexual contact with your girlfriend during the time she may have been infected, you should get tested immediately, even if you don't have symptoms, as syphilis can be asymptomatic in its early stages. According to the most recent guidelines 1, persons who were exposed within the 90 days preceding the diagnosis of primary, secondary, or early latent syphilis in a sex partner might be infected even if seronegative; therefore, such persons should be treated presumptively.

Key Considerations

• The risk of infection is high if you've had sexual contact with your girlfriend during the time she may have been infected, even if you don't have symptoms.
• Untreated syphilis can lead to serious health complications affecting your heart, brain, and other organs.
• Both partners need treatment to prevent reinfection, and you should abstain from sexual activity until both of you have completed treatment and follow-up testing confirms the infection is gone.
• The syphilis bacteria (Treponema pallidum) can remain in your body without causing immediate symptoms while still being transmissible and potentially causing long-term damage.

Treatment and Prevention

• The standard treatment for syphilis is an injection of benzathine penicillin G, with the specific dosage determined by the stage of infection.
• Long-term sex partners of patients who have latent syphilis should be evaluated clinically and serologically for syphilis and treated on the basis of the evaluation findings, as recommended by 1.
• For purposes of partner notification and presumptive treatment of exposed sex partners, patients with syphilis of unknown duration who have high nontreponemal serologic test titers (i.e., >1:32) can be assumed to have early syphilis, according to 1.

From the FDA Drug Label

Syphilis–early: Patients who are allergic to penicillin should be treated with doxycycline 100 mg, by mouth, twice a day for 2 weeks Syphilis of more than one year’s duration: Patients who are allergic to penicillin should be treated with doxycycline 100 mg, by mouth, twice a day for 4 weeks.

If your girlfriend is positive for syphilis, you should be treated if you have had sexual contact with her, as syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection. The dosage for syphilis treatment is 100 mg, by mouth, twice a day for 2 weeks for early syphilis, but the specific duration of treatment may vary depending on the stage and duration of the infection. It is essential to consult a healthcare professional for proper evaluation and treatment. 2

From the Research

Syphilis Treatment and Prevention

• If a person has been exposed to a partner with infectious syphilis, preventive therapy is an important element of syphilis control efforts 3
• A single 1.0-g dose of azithromycin seems to be efficacious for prevention of syphilis in persons exposed to infected sexual partners 3

Treatment Options for Syphilis

• Benzathine penicillin continues to be the cornerstone of recommended therapy for syphilis 4
• Doxycycline is the preferred recommended second-line agent for the treatment of syphilis, and it appears to be an effective agent for the treatment of early syphilis 5, 6
• Recent studies have shown that doxycycline is still an effective agent for the treatment of early syphilis, with no statistically significant differences in serological responses compared to benzathine penicillin G 6

Recommendations for Treatment

• If a person's partner has been diagnosed with syphilis, it is recommended that they receive treatment, even if they do not show any symptoms 7
• The choice of treatment will depend on the stage of the disease, as well as any other health conditions the person may have 4
• It is essential to follow the recommended treatment regimen to ensure effective treatment and prevent complications 7, 4