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Question on Syphilis?

Hello, I have been tested positive for syphilis in February 2019 and the results was 1: 16. I did penicillin vaccine twice in March 2019 at one week interval. I did the test again. Last October and the results was showing 1:4.  My question is will the infection go on its own after that or I still need to do the vaccine? And how long do I need to be treated to be back to negative?
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207091 tn?1337709493
COMMUNITY LEADER
That's a 4-fold drop in your titer, or test result, which means that the antibiotic worked. When they did the follow up test, they should have done a different test with it to see if that was positive or negative.

Many people will never test negative on an RPR or VDRL after having syphilis. If those numbers ever go up, it will be because you are newly infected.

When you test from now on, they will probably automatically do an RPR or VDRL first, and then confirm it with the other type of test. If the other test is negative, you don't have the infection.
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7 Comments
Can you please tell me the other tests to be done? So basically, if the other tests show negative, does it means I'm cured and can I infect anyone?
There are two types of syphilis testing - the nontreponemal test, which are indirect tests that look for certain biomarkers. These are the RPR and VDRL, and are the first run tests.

If you test positive on one of those, they'll do a treponemal test, which look for syphilis antibodies, to confirm the first test. These most common tests in this category are the  FTA-ABS, TPHA and TPPA.

The trepenomal test can also remain positive, but if that's still positive, but you've had a 4-fold drop in your non-trepenomal test, which you have, you can consider yourself cured and unable to infect anyone. The important thing now is that the titer (the number that was 1:16 and is now 1:4) remains at 1:4 or drops. (It might now drop for awhile, if ever, and so long as it doesn't rise, you're good.)

Is your sore or any symptoms you had gone? That's also important. If you are still symptomatic, avoid sex until it's gone.
I never had a y symptons apart from regular sore throat in the beginning but not anymore
You must have had a sore somewhere that you missed, which happens, since they're painless, or you caught it before the sore developed.

Either way, you're good. :)
Or the sore was in your throat, and that was what was causing that. If you perform oral sex on men, that could be a possibility.

What made you test in the first place? Was it routine testing, a known exposure or something else?
It was routine test. But my partner that I have since then is not positive for syphilis, how is that possible. I would never know I ws positive until I did that routine tests
If you didn't have oral sex or sex with your partner while you had a sore, they wouldn't have gotten it. Syphilis is only transmitted by direct contact with symptoms.

Was your partner treated anyway? Perhaps they tested too early? It can take up to 90 days to show positive on a test, though most will by 6 weeks.
3149845 tn?1506627771
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hi when a person tests positive for syphilis a second more sensitive test is performed to confirm an active infection.
Since syphilis is detected by antibodies showing in your system, antibodies will never go away so in a sence it will never go back to a negative.  Its easily treated.
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