How Long After You Get the Shot for Syphilis Can You Start Having Sex Again
Ten
Syphilis treatment options: afterwards exposure vs. after a positive test
Introduction
Syphilis is a highly contagious bacterial infection. There are more than x.half dozen cases of it worldwide every yr.1
Though syphilis is potentially life-threatening, it is easily treated if diagnosed early. That's why it'due south essential to visit the STD clinic equally presently every bit yous realize you might take been exposed to this infection.
In this article, we summarize facts well-nigh syphilis that you might like to know.
You will larn how syphilis is distributed among males who have sex with men, heterosexual males, males who don't specify their partner's gender, and women.
And we'll also tell you:
- How likely y'all are to get syphilis from i sexual human activity if you are heterosexual or homosexual
- When syphilis is contagious
- How urgent and effective treatment is
- When yous can take sex activity once again
And finally, nosotros'll describe the treatments available correct subsequently sex activity (earlier y'all've been tested) and after a positive test.
Syphilis'due south prevalence
In the Usa
In 2018, over 115,000 syphilis cases were reported in the United States. One-3rd (more than 38,000) were classified as primary or secondary syphilis.2
See the table below for more data about the prevalence of syphilis (2015 estimates).
| Sexual behavior | Prevalence (among all cases) |
|---|---|
| Males who have sexual practice with men (MSM) | 60% |
| Heterosexual males | 13% |
| Males who don't specify their partner's gender | 17% |
| Women | 10% |
In NYC
In New York Urban center there were virtually 2,654 cases of syphilis in 2018. This is about 12.7% college than in 2017. The increase is near noticeable among homosexual males (the number has almost doubled in recent years).three
The adventure of getting syphilis from a single sexual human activity
The following table presents estimates of the adventure of acquiring syphilis through 1 sexual human activity for heterosexuals and homosexuals.
| Type of Sexual Intercourse | Chance of Per-Act Transmission |
|---|---|
| Heterosexual | 20.6%-66.vii% |
| Homosexual | 30%-60% |
When syphilis is contagious
The likelihood of syphilis transmission largely depends on the stage of the infection and the presence of a syphilis lesion (chancre). It is most infectious in the offset phase of the disease (principal syphilis), when the syphilitic lesion appears (from ten to 90 days later on exposure). This lesion is painless and is located in the area of the body where the infectious amanuensis (bacteria) entered it.
What to do if you're exposed to syphilis
Anyone who may have had sexual intercourse with a syphilis-positive partner can become post-exposure prophylaxis for syphilis:3
- 1. Shot of penicillin (within 3 months of exposure)
- OR
- 2. Tablets of doxycycline (within 24 hours of exposure) in order to prevent the development of the disease iii
Treatment before or after testing
You can be treated for syphilis before or later on you test positive for it, and people choose differently depending on their circumstances.
If yous make up one's mind not to take the medication:
Some people prefer not to take medication unless they know they have a disease. This is the platonic mode of dealing with whatsoever status.
If you choose this choice, you demand to stop having sex (and exist OK with that) for 3 months after exposure considering a syphilis test is not reliable until so.
If you lot determine to take the medication:
There are a few things you lot should go along in listen if you make this decision:
- Yous might be taking the medication unnecessarily
- You might exist exposing yourself to side effects (though the risk is extremely low with a one-time dose)
Post-exposure treatment is not urgent
It is platonic to be treated sooner rather than later on but information technology is non an urgent matter (not an emergency). Post-exposure treatment is not extremely fourth dimension-sensitive and can be given after.
Treatment will be effective if you had risky sexual activity last night
2 doxycycline (100 mg) oral tablets taken inside 24 hours of sexual intercourse may decrease the take a chance of syphilis acquisition by over 73%.three, 5
The effectiveness of preventative handling
The effectiveness of post-exposure rubber medication varies depending on the treatment choice.
| Medication | Effectiveness |
|---|---|
| Penicillin | 95% |
| Doxycycline | 73% |
Sex tin resume ii weeks subsequently treatment
You lot can take sex two weeks afterward finishing the treatment. Please note that to avoid giving syphilis to someone else, it is essential to avoid fifty-fifty skin-to-skin contact and protected sex during the handling period and to stop having sexual activity until 2 weeks after the stop of handling.
Testing later preventative handling
You should take follow-upwardly testing three months after finishing the prophylactic treatment. Y'all can easily volume an engagement online and have an examination and testing on any twenty-four hours you wish (weekends included).
What to do if you have a positive syphilis test
Penicillin dosage
The amount of penicillin you lot'll demand largely depends on how long information technology's been since y'all were infected. Please meet the table below.3
| Time Since Positive Test | Number of Penicillin Shots |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 yr | 1 |
| More 1 twelvemonth | 3 |
Treatment options for people allergic to penicillin
People who are allergic to penicillin have two treatment options:4
- Doxycycline (100mg) oral tablets
Twice a day for 2 weeks
OR
- Tetracycline (500mg)
Four times a twenty-four hours for two weeks
Annotation: Pregnant women cannot get either of these treatments. They should exist desensitized and so get a shot of penicillin.
Treatment is quite effective
Please run across the table beneath for information about the effectiveness of treatment alternatives.
| Medication | Effectiveness |
|---|---|
| Penicillin | 95% |
| Doxycycline | 83%-100% |
| Tetracycline | 83-100% |
It'southward best to beginning treatment immediately, only it's not urgent
It's not necessary to start treatment immediately. However, syphilis is a progressive illness, and so the earlier yous begin handling , the easier and quicker the treatment will be. The more than time the passes, the more time it will accept to cure the infection.
How soon you should exist tested
The CDC recommends that patients have follow-up syphilis testing 6 and twelve months after treatment ends. 4
Meaning women and MSM should consider screening: three
When you lot can have sex again
Yous tin can have sexual activity xiv days after treatment is completed.
However, if your partner has not been treated for syphilis, he or she may infect y'all over again. It is essential that sexual partners of infected persons exist treated to prevent further reinfection.
References
1. Syphilis transmission: a review of the current evidence. NCBI
2. STD Facts - Syphilis (Detailed).CDC
iii. The Corking Imitator Revealed: Syphilis. NCBI
4. Syphilis - 2015 STD Treatment Guidelines. CDC
5. Impact of the Daily Doxycycline Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) on the Incidence of Syphilis, Gonorrhoea and Chlamydia - Full Text View - ClinicalTrials
Source: https://stdcenterny.com/articles/syphilis-postexposure-treatment.html
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