Information if you are pregnant and have a positive result for syphilis
What your blood test result means
A positive screening test does not always mean you have syphilis. The screening test results for syphilis are not always easy to understand.
An expert will review your results and ask you questions about your health and any previous infections. Sometimes a screening test shows a positive result because:
- you had syphilis in the past and it was treated, and
- other, less serious conditions can cause the positive result.
Further tests will confirm whether you currently have syphilis.
What is syphilis?
Syphilis is a serious infection caused by bacteria. If it is not treated, it can cause serious health problems later in life, such as brain damage and heart problems.
You may have had syphilis without any symptoms, or you may only have felt unwell for a short time when you were first infected. Syphilis can be treated successfully with antibiotics.
Syphilis is not passed on through everyday contact
You cannot pass syphilis to other people through everyday social contact. This includes shopping, spending time with friends and family, eating meals together, sharing towels or toilets, using the same cutlery, or kissing.
How can syphilis be passed on?
Syphilis can be passed on if you have sex without a condom with someone who has the infection. This includes:
- vaginal sex
- anal sex, and
- oral sex.
It can also be passed on through:
- any contact with genital ulcers (chancres) or rashes, and
- from mother to baby during pregnancy or birth
Using a condom (on the penis or an internal condom in the vagina) greatly reduces the risk of passing on syphilis.
What will happen next?
We will take another blood sample to confirm your result. It is very unlikely that this result will change. You will be offered an appointment at a sexual health clinic for a full check-up and assessment. This helps the clinic to confirm the diagnosis. If the doctor confirms you have syphilis, they will discuss the best treatment with you.
Why is treatment important?
Treating syphilis during pregnancy is very important as it reduces the chance of passing the infection to your baby. If syphilis passes to your baby, it can cause:
- miscarriage,
- stillbirth, or
- serious health problems or abnormalities in your baby.
Who will support you?
Your sexual health specialist and midwife will discuss your choices with you, help to plan your care and provide support.
Your treatment
If you have syphilis, you will be treated with antibiotics. After your treatment you will need to have follow-up blood tests. These tests are important, to make sure the infection has been fully treated.
It is very important to finish your treatment. If syphilis is not treated properly, the infection can pass to your baby during pregnancy.
Once syphilis has been successfully treated, it will not come back unless you have sexual contact with someone who has syphilis.
How will syphilis affect my pregnancy and my baby’s delivery?
If you are treated, syphilis will not affect the rest of your pregnancy, your choices for delivering your baby and how you feed your baby.
How will my baby be protected?
Starting antibiotic treatment early in pregnancy greatly reduces the chances of your baby having syphilis.
If your infection is diagnosed later in pregnancy, your baby may have a higher chance of having syphilis. You may be offered extra care from the fetal medicine unit. They can carry out specialist checks to monitor your baby’s health and help plan the safest care for you both.
After the birth, your baby will:
- be examined by a paediatrician, and
- have blood tests to check for syphilis.
Will my baby need antibiotics?
Your baby may need antibiotics after the birth, especially if you were treated for syphilis late in pregnancy. This helps to reduce the risk of the infection passing to your baby.
Who should know that I have syphilis?
To make sure you and your baby have the safest and appropriate care, your midwife may need to share information with other specialists involved in your care, such as:
- the sexual health team,
- the obstetrician (a hospital doctor who cares for pregnant women); and
- the paediatrician (a doctor who cares for babies and children)
These specialists work with you, to plan your care and keep you and your baby safe. Sharing information in this way is a normal part of NHS care.
Your midwife will explain what information needs to be shared and why. You can choose whether you want your GP to know about your syphilis diagnosis.
Your personal information is always kept confidential and is only shared with healthcare staff directly involved in your care.
Talking to your partner
You may want to ask your sexual health team for advice on how to explain your test result to your partner.
If your partner does not know whether they have syphilis:
- use condoms to reduce the chance of passing syphilis to them; and
- encourage them to get tested at their GP surgery or sexual health clinic.
Where can I get more information?
You can get more information from:
- the hospital midwife who specialises in antenatal screening
- the obstetrician
- your nearest NHS sexual health clinic – phone your local hospital and ask for the sexual health clinic.
- the Public Health Wales website and