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Prevention

By Mayo Clinic staff

To help prevent the spread of syphilis, follow these suggestions:

  • Abstain or be monogamous. The only certain way to avoid syphilis is to forgo having sex. The next-best option is to have mutually monogamous sex with one partner who is uninfected.
  • Use a latex condom. Condoms can reduce your risk of contracting syphilis, but only if the condom covers the syphilis sores.
  • Avoid recreational drugs. Excessive use of alcohol or other drugs can cloud your judgment and lead to unsafe sexual practices.

Screening for pregnant women
People can be infected with syphilis and not know it. In light of the often deadly effects syphilis can have on unborn children, health officials recommend that all pregnant women be screened for the disease.

Treatments and drugs
References
  1. Hook EW. Syphilis. In: Goldman L, et al. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/218862952-3/0/1492/1185.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2805-5..50345-1--cesec16_14680. Accessed Sept. 16, 2010.
  2. Syphilis fact sheet. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/std/syphilis/STDFact-Syphilis.htm. Accessed Sept. 17, 2010.
  3. Sexually transmitted diseases surveillance, 2008: Syphilis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats08/syphilis.htm. Accessed Sept. 16, 2010.
  4. Birnbaumer DM, et al. Syphilis. In: Marx JA, et al. Rosen's Emergency Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05472-0..00096-7--s0015&isbn=978-0-323-05472-0&sid=1054738467&type=bookPage&sectionEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05472-0..00096-7--s0040&uniqId=218994117-4#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05472-0..00096-7--s0040. Accessed Sept. 17, 2010.
  5. Johnson KE. Overview of TORCH infections. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 27, 2010.
  6. Marra CM. Neurosyphilis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 17, 2010.
DS00374 Dec. 14, 2010

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