Planned Parenthood of New York City Now Offers Syphilis Treatment at all Five Locations and Mobile Health Center!
Syphilis is a common bacterial infection that’s spread through vaginal, anal, and oral sex. Syphilis is easily cured with antibiotic medicine, but it can cause permanent damage if you don’t get treated. At Planned Parenthood of New York City, we now proudly offer syphilis treatment at all five of our locations and on our PPNYC — Keith Haring Foundation Mobile Health Center.
Syphilis causes sores on your genitals (called chancres). The sores are usually painless, but they can easily spread the infection to other people. You get syphilis from contact with the sores. A lot of people with syphilis don’t notice the sores and feel totally fine, so they might not know they have it. Syphilis can infect your vagina, anus, penis, or scrotum, and sometimes your lips and mouth. You can help prevent syphilis by using condoms and / or dental dams every time you have sex.
Syphilis can be easily cured with medication if you treat it early. But without treatment, it leads to really serious, permanent problems like brain damage, paralysis, and blindness. That’s why STD testing is so important — the sooner you know you have syphilis, the faster you can get rid of it.
Syphilis is very easy to give to other people in the beginning, when there are sores. The signs of syphilis can be so mild you don’t even notice them. Sometimes people confuse syphilis symptoms with other things, like pimples or rashes. Syphilis symptoms come and go over time, but that doesn’t mean the infection goes away. The ONLY way to get rid of syphilis is to take medicine for it.
You can get tested for syphilis whether or not you have any sores or symptoms. At PPNYC, your nurse or doctor will take a quick blood sample to test you for syphilis.
Syphilis is usually super easy to get rid of in the early stages. Your nurse or doctor will prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection — usually penicillin, unless you’re allergic or can’t take it for other reasons. If you’re having syphilis treatment, it’s really important for your sexual partners to get treated also. Otherwise, you may pass the infection back and forth, or to other people.
If you’re worried you might have syphilis, another sexually transmitted infection, or just want to check in on your sexual and reproductive health, make an appointment at PPNYC today!
