About syphilis

It is a sexually transmitted disease caused by bacterial infection called syphilis Treponema.
It is mainly transmitted by sexual activity, but it can also be transmitted to the throat by oral sex (oral sex) or rarely with kisss.
Some people follow asymptomatic, but it is a systemic disease, and when infected, lymph nodeitis and skin symptoms appear 2-3 weeks later.
Symptoms vary depending on the season.
Not all humans have seasonal symptoms, and some people have symptoms at different times or are asymptomatic.
Even if there are no symptoms, it can infect humans.
Treatment can be completely cured, but without proper treatment, symptoms progress gradually, eventually leading to the central nervous system, leading to death.

Syphilis Phase I　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Syphilis Phase II

　Source: Japan Society of Sexually Infectious Diseases

It is mainly transmitted when the mucous membranes and skin come into direct contact with the site that has become lesions due to syphilis infection.
①Sexual contact
　Genitals and genitals, genitals and anus (analysex), genitals and mouth contact (oral sex), etc.
　It is transmitted through mucous membranes and wounds through infected saliva, semen, vaginal secretions, and blood.
②Mother-to-child transmission
　If infected during pregnancy, the mother infects the fetus through the placenta.

Antibiotics such as penicillin are effective.
Treatment can be completely cured, so get treatment at the hospital as soon as you know the infection.
The treatment will be determined in consideration of the stage.
In the case of oral medication, the duration of taking depends on the progress of the disease, and long-term treatment is required.
Follow your doctor's instructions and be sure to take the medicine until the end of treatment.
In the case of early syphilis within one year of infection, treatment with one injection is possible.
Symptoms of suspected syphilis may disappear without treatment, but be sure to consult a medical institution.

Avoid sexual activity with people infected with syphilis.
There may be skin symptoms that do not notice syphilis, so use condoms appropriately from the beginning when sexual activity so that mucous membranes and skin do not come into contact directly.
Avoid sexual activity with an unspecified number of people, as the risk of infection increases.
If your partner is infected, it is important to treat it, and it is important to check the infection between partners.

We mainly perform a blood test called a syphilis antibody test (collect about 5cc of blood).
Syphilis antibody tests include syphilis serum reaction (STS) such as RPR tests and syphilis Treponema antibody (TP antibody test).
Accurate test results may not be obtained unless more than 6 weeks have passed since the date of concern.
In Yokohama, we conduct free anonymous tests for HIV and syphilis at night inspection sites in Health and Welfare Center in the 18th ward.

⇒　Click here for a list of inspection venues and reservations in Yokohama City

The number of new syphilis patients in 2023 was the highest ever in Yokohama as well as in Japan.
85.5% of men were in their 20s and 50s, and 49.5% of women were in their 20s.　

⇒　2023 Yokohama-shi HIV-infected AIDS patient, AIDS patient, syphilis patient Click here (PDF: 437KB)

<Reference Link>

・Syphilis (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) (outside site)

・Q & A on Syphilis (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) (outside site)

・Syphilis (Tokyo Metropolitan Infectious Disease Information Center) (outside site)

・What is syphilis (National Institute of Infectious Diseases) (outside site)