Syphilis: what your positive screening test result means
Updated 20 May 2022
Applies to England
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The result of one of your recent screening tests was positive for syphilis. This means you will need to be referred to talk to a professional in sexual health. This information explains what syphilis is and what it means in pregnancy.
1. What syphilis is
Syphilis is a bacterial infection carried in the blood. It often goes unnoticed as signs and symptoms are not always obvious. However, it is a serious condition which, if left untreated, can result in serious health problems for both you and your baby.
2. Causes
Syphilis can be passed to others:
- by bacteria entering your body if you have sexual contact with someone with syphilis (normally during unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex)
- from a mother to her baby during pregnancy or at birth
- from infected blood by sharing needles
3. Treatment
Syphilis can be cured with one or more doses of antibiotics. The earlier it is treated, the less chance you will have health complications. Early treatment also greatly reduces the chance of passing syphilis to your baby during pregnancy.
It is important to remember that even after successful treatment a person can be re-infected with syphilis at any time. For this reason, your sexual health team will recommend that your sexual partner is also tested, and treated if necessary. You will need to avoid all sexual contact with your partner until you have both finished treatment.
If you or your partner have other sexual partners, or if you have other children, they may also need to be tested. Your sexual health team will advise you and offer help in contacting partners.
4. Protecting your baby
Syphilis can pass from a mother to her baby during pregnancy. If left untreated it can result in babies being born with symptoms or signs of syphilis infection, known as congenital syphilis. Treating syphilis as early as possible in pregnancy gives the best chance of preventing this.
Having syphilis will not affect the way you deliver your baby and you can still breastfeed your baby.
If you need treatment for syphilis in this pregnancy, your baby will need to be examined by a doctor following birth and have some follow-up blood tests. A very small number of babies also need antibiotic treatment.
5. What happens next
You will be referred to your local sexual health team if you have not been already.
The team will talk you through the treatment you need and may advise you to have tests for other sexually transmitted infections. It is important you attend all your appointments during pregnancy and complete your treatment to make sure the infection has cleared.
6. Who needs to know you have syphilis
It is important that the health professionals involved in your care are aware of your result, so they can make sure you and your baby receive safe and effective treatment.
7. Confidentiality
The NHS screening programmes use personal information from your NHS records to invite you for screening at the right time. Your information is also used to ensure you receive high quality care and to improve the screening programmes. Find out more about how your information is used and protected, and your options.
8. More information
You can find out more about syphilis from:
If you have any other questions or concerns talk to your screening team or midwife.