Syphilis infection and risk factors

Condition analysis:
 Follow-up testing is recommended to be sure that treatment is successful.  Having syphilis once does not protect a person from getting it again. Even following successful treatment, people can still be re-infected. Only laboratory tests can confirm whether someone has syphilis.

Because syphilis sores can be hidden in the vagina, anus, under the foreskin, or mouth, it may not be obvious that a sex partner has syphilis. Unless a person knows that their sex partners have been tested and treated, they may be at risk of getting syphilis again from an untreated sex partner.

Instructions:
Syphilis Infection and Risk Factors: Treponema pallidum, the bacterium that causes syphilis, can be contracted when a person comes into contact with the sore of an infected person during sexual intercourse. The bacteria can enter the body through abrasions or minor cuts in your mucous membranes or skin.

This sexually transmitted infection is usually contagious during its primary or secondary stages but it may also become contagious during its early latent period. Sometimes, the bacteria may also spread through direct contact with active lesion. An infected mother may also pass it on to her baby during childbirth or pregnancy.

Contrary to popular belief, syphilis cannot be spread by using the same bathtub, toilet, eating utensils, swimming pools, or doorknobs. It can only be transmitted through sexual contact or direct contact with sores.  Those who have been cured of syphilis may also get another infection when they have been exposed to someone elses sores.

The primary risk factors of this sexually transmitted infection include engaging in unprotected sex, having sex with multiple partners, or being in an intimate relationship with someone who has more than one sex partner. Genital sores caused by syphilis can make a person more susceptible to AIDS.