First part of the material Diagnosis The main part of the diagnosis of the disease are the serological tests, which prove the presence of antibodies against the pale treponema in the serum of syphilis patients. To monitor the effect of the therapy, 2 groups of tests are used – non-specific (classical, lipoid, cardiolipin) and specific (treponemal). The standard tests for detecting syphilis register the body’s reaction to the infection, but not the actual cause of it. Therefore, they are known as non-treponemal tests. Although these tests are extremely effective in diagnosing and detecting syphilis, they can also report false positives for the presence of infection, as is the risk with diseases such as lymphoma, measles, chicken pox, malaria, tuberculosis and endocarditis. Therefore, the results of any positive non-treponemal test must be confirmed or rejected by conducting a treponemal test. It detects the presence of microorganisms that cause syphilis. These treponemal tests automatically detect the reaction of the immune system to the microorganisms Treponema pallidum. Early detection of chancre, the initial stage of the disease, is possible through microscopic examination of secretions from the resulting sore. Since Treponema bacteria are extremely difficult to isolate, diagnosis and treatment are based on the external signs of the chancre. Diagnosing syphilis is further complicated by the fact that the causative agent of the disease cannot be grown in laboratory conditions, therefore there is no clear basis for comparison. Methods of treatment The earlier the treatment of the disease begins, the more effective it will be. Patients undergoing a course of treatment should refrain from sexual contact with new partners until its completion. Treatment of sexual partners is extremely important to avoid re-infection. Modern treatment of syphilis is carried out with penicillin preparations, which can be administered in different forms. The duration of the antibiotic course depends on the stage of the disease. The use of other antibiotics is permissible only when hypersensitivity to penicillin has been proven. In such cases, alternative treatment can be carried out with Erythromycin or preparations from the tetracycline group. About 24 hours after the start of treatment, the patient with syphilis is no longer contagious. In rarer cases, patients do not respond to the standard dose of penicillin. For this reason, it is important that patients are periodically examined by a blood test for syphilis in order to be sure that the causative agent of the disease is completely destroyed. With the application of adequate treatment, syphilis is curable, regardless of the stage of development of the disease. However, in the last phase of the disease, the damage caused to the internal organs by the causative bacteria is irreversible.How to protect yourself from the disease? Open sores in syphilis disease are visible and usually contagious during the active phases of the infection. Contact with these infected sores should be avoided, as the discharge they contain can spread the disease. As with most sexually transmitted diseases, using a condom during intercourse can help prevent syphilis. Regular examination, as well as treatment of the early stages of the disease, are a method of prevention against its further development. And testing and treating syphilis early in pregnancy in women reduces the risk of transmitting the disease to the offspring.