Syphilis and long-term relationship

[oteboog]

Hi, so I guess I was wondering. Suppose someone has stage three syphilis. Their "syphilis levels" in their blood are over 200. They get treated for it with three rounds of antibiotics. Now the doctor wants to see them again and test them to see how much syphilis they still have in their blood. The doctor says even if they are treated for syphilis, they will always from now on test as having antibodies, so their level will be at least 1, never 0.

At what point after receiving treatment for syphilis is a person cured? When can they resume having sex?

Suppose they have not had penetrative sex with their partner in five months. Said partner has been tested twice for syphilis, and both tests were negative. Is resuming sexual activity okay or should they wait longer?

[Sam W]

Hi oteboog,

Before we get into the details here, can you tell me if this is a situation you or someone you know? Or is this more a hypothetical situation? Because it's often easier to advise on specific situations than on hypotheticals.

Too, in either case, my suggestion would be for that person to talk with the healthcare provider they've been working with about when they'll no longer be at risk of transmitting syphilis to a partner, and if there are any additional precautions they need to take going forward.