Aa
Please answer Dr Hook
I had syphilis in the past and I had skin rash on my fore arm, I don’t know if it was a chancre or not, a Dr said it looked like verucca vulgara. And I have researched that Condyloma lata looks pretty much the same, it looked like an inch to two inches in size in the shape of a flat bottle cap and raised (while I was infected). Two of them were on my arm. My question is, if someone touched a syphilis rash or sore (arm) while they were checking it out, would they be prone to getting syphilis?
My second question is , is there a risk of syphilis by blood (infected person) to blood (of non infected person) contact? Ex. Both people have cuts
Same question for kissing contact?
I would basically like to know if I should notify some people or not, and if there was risk, I don’t want to because it is very embarrassing , but I will if there is a risk, and I would rather not if there was no risk. I have been treated.
My final question is , What does it mean when the RPR test turns negative in people with latent syphilis, does this mean that the infection got killed by immune system by itself and syphilis wont cause any more complications.
Please answer my 4 questions, Thank you Doc!
My second question is , is there a risk of syphilis by blood (infected person) to blood (of non infected person) contact? Ex. Both people have cuts
Same question for kissing contact?
I would basically like to know if I should notify some people or not, and if there was risk, I don’t want to because it is very embarrassing , but I will if there is a risk, and I would rather not if there was no risk. I have been treated.
My final question is , What does it mean when the RPR test turns negative in people with latent syphilis, does this mean that the infection got killed by immune system by itself and syphilis wont cause any more complications.
Please answer my 4 questions, Thank you Doc!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the STD forum. Dr. Hook and I take questions randomly, without regard to specific requests. We have worked closely together for almost 3 decades and our opinions and advice virtually never differ significantly.
The rash on your arm was not a chancre. Chancres are open sores and appear exclusively at the site where syphilis is acquired -- in men usually the penis, occasionally the anus, rarely the mouth. Condylomata lata occur only on moist tissues, generally in the same areas as chancres: genitals, anal area, mouth. Depending on the stage at which your syphilis was diagnosed -- specifically if you had secondary syphilis -- the rash on your arm might have been a manifestation of syphilis. However, syphilitic rashes on dry skin generally are not infectious; transmission to other persons by such contact occurs extremely rarely, if ever.
Verruca vulgaris is simply a fancy term for common skin warts. It is conceivable a dermatologist would mistake the lesion of a syphilitic rash with common warts, but not likely. On the other hand, if your syphilis had not yet been diagnosed and treated, and if the lesion cleared up promptly after you received penicillin, it may have been syphilitic.
To the specific questions:
1) Even if the arm lesion was due to syphilis, it likely was not infectious -- for the reason discussed above.
2) Exchange of blood is a theoretical means of syphilis transmission. However, to my knowledge no such cases have been reported or even suspected for many decades. All those cases occurred by blood transfusion, back in the days before syphilis testing was routine among blood donors. The amount of blood exchange through mutually contaminated skin cuts is probably far too small to be any measurable risk. However, I cannot say it is impossible.
3) Kissing is a possible transmission route but very rare. The average social peck probalby carries no risk; french kissing may.
4) Conversion of a previously positive RPR to negative generally means the infection is completely eradicated, whether by antibiotic, the immune system, or both. However, late recurrence sometimes occurs. It wouldn't be a bad idea for you to have one or two follow-up blood tests 1-2 year after treatment. Most likely they will remain negative. For the detailed schedule of follow-up tests in your case, follow the advice of the doctor or clinic who treated you.
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
The rash on your arm was not a chancre. Chancres are open sores and appear exclusively at the site where syphilis is acquired -- in men usually the penis, occasionally the anus, rarely the mouth. Condylomata lata occur only on moist tissues, generally in the same areas as chancres: genitals, anal area, mouth. Depending on the stage at which your syphilis was diagnosed -- specifically if you had secondary syphilis -- the rash on your arm might have been a manifestation of syphilis. However, syphilitic rashes on dry skin generally are not infectious; transmission to other persons by such contact occurs extremely rarely, if ever.
Verruca vulgaris is simply a fancy term for common skin warts. It is conceivable a dermatologist would mistake the lesion of a syphilitic rash with common warts, but not likely. On the other hand, if your syphilis had not yet been diagnosed and treated, and if the lesion cleared up promptly after you received penicillin, it may have been syphilitic.
To the specific questions:
1) Even if the arm lesion was due to syphilis, it likely was not infectious -- for the reason discussed above.
2) Exchange of blood is a theoretical means of syphilis transmission. However, to my knowledge no such cases have been reported or even suspected for many decades. All those cases occurred by blood transfusion, back in the days before syphilis testing was routine among blood donors. The amount of blood exchange through mutually contaminated skin cuts is probably far too small to be any measurable risk. However, I cannot say it is impossible.
3) Kissing is a possible transmission route but very rare. The average social peck probalby carries no risk; french kissing may.
4) Conversion of a previously positive RPR to negative generally means the infection is completely eradicated, whether by antibiotic, the immune system, or both. However, late recurrence sometimes occurs. It wouldn't be a bad idea for you to have one or two follow-up blood tests 1-2 year after treatment. Most likely they will remain negative. For the detailed schedule of follow-up tests in your case, follow the advice of the doctor or clinic who treated you.
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Mostly this just re-asks the same questions in different words. Re-read my replies above. Warts/verruca: No link at all with syphilis, which does not cause common warts (they are caused by human papillomavirus, HPV). There is no advise anybody about your syphilis except persons with whom you had sex from the time you caught it until your first dose of penicillin. I already said that chancres never occur on forearms; simple touching is not sufficient to transmit it. As for "i have read that syphilis is transmitted through rashes", that does not mean it is transmitted by casual contact. It is not.
That will have to end this thread. Take care.
That will have to end this thread. Take care.
it was unclear to me because i have read that syphilis is transmitted through rashes etc.
Dr i just needed peace of mind, that was all. thanks again for spending your time on my other posts.
Dr i just needed peace of mind, that was all. thanks again for spending your time on my other posts.
i understand, thank you for the reply, and yes thank you for spending that amount of time on my post, its just that i was unclear about some things when i read your answer. because my questions werent directly answered , such as in your first post, they were rather indirectly answered. ill type out on what i was unclear about, so if you choose to respond, that would be appreciated. thanks for your help.
you said there was no risk from blood contact. but it wasnt clear to me if the open wound bleeding finger contact of another person to my syphilis rash was a risk. because i have read the syphilis can be transferred by touching a rash. to top it off my rash was bleeding too, in which that same blood from rash could have gotten into the other person too. risk? could this arm rash have been a chancre sore?
you said veruca vulgaris is not syphilis, i understand that, i was only wondering if veruca can be a result of syphilis, or the 2 have no link at all. i know it is not syphilis, it is warts, just as a headache is different from a runny nose, BUT are warts an outcome of syphilis
i was unclear about this question
should i advise the other people , that contacted my blood, and the other person i kissed about my syphilis? so they can get checked or does it not matter due to low risk?????
and i was unclear about this question
but if she touched me on my fore arm and she had the chancre on her hands or anywhere else on her that touched my forearm, would a chancre sore or rash be transmitted to my forearm too??
you said there was no risk from blood contact. but it wasnt clear to me if the open wound bleeding finger contact of another person to my syphilis rash was a risk. because i have read the syphilis can be transferred by touching a rash. to top it off my rash was bleeding too, in which that same blood from rash could have gotten into the other person too. risk? could this arm rash have been a chancre sore?
you said veruca vulgaris is not syphilis, i understand that, i was only wondering if veruca can be a result of syphilis, or the 2 have no link at all. i know it is not syphilis, it is warts, just as a headache is different from a runny nose, BUT are warts an outcome of syphilis
i was unclear about this question
should i advise the other people , that contacted my blood, and the other person i kissed about my syphilis? so they can get checked or does it not matter due to low risk?????
and i was unclear about this question
but if she touched me on my fore arm and she had the chancre on her hands or anywhere else on her that touched my forearm, would a chancre sore or rash be transmitted to my forearm too??
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
You're overreacting. Count the number of words in your questions and those in other threads on this and the HIV forum, including my replies, and think what you're getting for your $15 -- and how that compares with expert advice in a doctor's office. Also glance at every other professionally moderated forum on MedHelp and compare the detail and comprehensiveness of the replies on this and other forums, which often have no follow-up comments at all. (MedHelp moderators can set their browsers so they never even see any follow-up comments, and some moderators do that.)
Online forums are not intended as substitutes for proper discussions with personal physicans. Nor can you expect the moderators to take half an hour on each thread, which is how much time I have spent so far. You're welcome.
Online forums are not intended as substitutes for proper discussions with personal physicans. Nor can you expect the moderators to take half an hour on each thread, which is how much time I have spent so far. You're welcome.
no disrespect, but, Dr, i have been reading other threads in the std forum, , and the other people have as many or more questions than i had, the difference is there questions get split up into 3 or 4 posts by the patient. my previous post would have been my last and final post. i do not understand why this is considered too many questions for a follow up thus only brief answers can be given. i just need help thats all and doing the right thing in case other people that i know needed help, and i thought thats what this site was for, about helping people, i would have expected not to be rushed off the forum. does this mean i have to pay 15$ more for the same questions to get a more longer and non brief answer? can any of the Dr help me on this forum please? if not you , than can Dr Hook or whoever else.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
These are much more extensive questions than normal or expected for follow-up comments. (On many MedHelp forums, the moderators never respond to follow-ups and even set their browsers so they never even see them.) A few brief responses and that will have to end this thread.
Syphilis is sexually transmitted -- the exceptions are too rare to worry about, as suggested above. If you didn't have sex with someone while you had syphilis, you could not have spread it. All the other kinds of contact you describe (blood, etc) make no difference. There is no risk to anyone with whom you did not have sex.
I already said verruca vulgaris is a fancy name for a wart. It is not syphilis. I cannot say whether you had a wart plus syphilis, or if the dermatologist misdiagnosed the arm rash. As for other skin lesions, you'll need to ask your personal health care provider. We don't examine posted photos on this forum.
I'm not sure why your question about RPR in untreated syphilis is important to you. You had penicillin. In most people with untreated syphilis, the RPR remains positive, often for life, although often at low levels. In those in whom it becomes negative, probably 50:50 is a pretty good estimate of the number truly cured versus still infected with latent syphilis. The available data do not allow any more precise estimates.
Please direct additional questions to the doctor or clinic treating your syphilis. Best wishes.
Syphilis is sexually transmitted -- the exceptions are too rare to worry about, as suggested above. If you didn't have sex with someone while you had syphilis, you could not have spread it. All the other kinds of contact you describe (blood, etc) make no difference. There is no risk to anyone with whom you did not have sex.
I already said verruca vulgaris is a fancy name for a wart. It is not syphilis. I cannot say whether you had a wart plus syphilis, or if the dermatologist misdiagnosed the arm rash. As for other skin lesions, you'll need to ask your personal health care provider. We don't examine posted photos on this forum.
I'm not sure why your question about RPR in untreated syphilis is important to you. You had penicillin. In most people with untreated syphilis, the RPR remains positive, often for life, although often at low levels. In those in whom it becomes negative, probably 50:50 is a pretty good estimate of the number truly cured versus still infected with latent syphilis. The available data do not allow any more precise estimates.
Please direct additional questions to the doctor or clinic treating your syphilis. Best wishes.
Oh thank you doctor, i did not know there were other doctors on here as well that dealt with syphilis, thank you for the input. Yes i was in the secondary stage of syphilis when i was diagnosed, and it was not a dermatologist, just a walk in DR stating it was veruca, so do you think it was syphilitic????
One thing i forgot to add , the blood to blood contact occurred was when my family member was trying to cut off part of the arm rash, so she could look at it under a microscope, the family member was in med school and she knew some stuff about detecting fungal germs under a microscope etc. and she cut herself with the biopsy punch on finger while in the process, (i was bleeding from a small section already that was cut) i know it was stupid to do, but considering the blood to blood contact in that specific area , or her open bleeding wound contact to the POSSIBLE SYPHILIS RASH on my arm, would that constitute a risk? any risk?????
if it was veruca vulgaris , is vericca vulgaris a symptom of syphilis????
i am very embarrassed about this, but it was with a sex worker that i got it from,she did seem very diseased from all marks and rashes on body and hands etc, and you could tell she was a drug user.i am very ashamed of my mistake, i learned something out of it ,you stated chancre sores only appear in anal, genital etc. and not dry skin like forearm regions, but if she touched me on my fore arm and she had the chancre on her hands or anywhere else on her that touched my forearm, would a chancre sore or rash be transmitted to my forearm too??
yes i have seen pictures of chancre sores just now, and i see it doesnt look like a chancre sore (small round dot) from what im seeing online, it was more round, raised with distinct border, flat top, coin shaped. ,the closest pic i couldt find was this, http://z.hubpages.com/u/687538_f248.jpg , but mine had no clear center, it was uniformly covered, and also it was not rough and bumpy looking like the pic, mine was flat and plump and very smooth looking, and pink color to it (kind of like if a bubble was flat). was this syphilitic or just a wart would you say???
should i advise the other people , that contacted my blood, and the other person i kissed about my syphilis? so they can get checked, or are the risks so low that it does not matter?????i really would find it embarrassing to tell them.
What is the chances of re occurance of syphilis of a previously pos RPR that turned neg by itself from immune system eradicating it without antibiotics? 50/50? is it rare?
I broken up my 7 questions into 7 seperate paragraphs, can you please answer those 7 questions for me DR. thank you for the previous message, you really answered with awesome and elaborate detail and thank you for answering all the questions i asked before. It is really appreciated. Happy holidays.
One thing i forgot to add , the blood to blood contact occurred was when my family member was trying to cut off part of the arm rash, so she could look at it under a microscope, the family member was in med school and she knew some stuff about detecting fungal germs under a microscope etc. and she cut herself with the biopsy punch on finger while in the process, (i was bleeding from a small section already that was cut) i know it was stupid to do, but considering the blood to blood contact in that specific area , or her open bleeding wound contact to the POSSIBLE SYPHILIS RASH on my arm, would that constitute a risk? any risk?????
if it was veruca vulgaris , is vericca vulgaris a symptom of syphilis????
i am very embarrassed about this, but it was with a sex worker that i got it from,she did seem very diseased from all marks and rashes on body and hands etc, and you could tell she was a drug user.i am very ashamed of my mistake, i learned something out of it ,you stated chancre sores only appear in anal, genital etc. and not dry skin like forearm regions, but if she touched me on my fore arm and she had the chancre on her hands or anywhere else on her that touched my forearm, would a chancre sore or rash be transmitted to my forearm too??
yes i have seen pictures of chancre sores just now, and i see it doesnt look like a chancre sore (small round dot) from what im seeing online, it was more round, raised with distinct border, flat top, coin shaped. ,the closest pic i couldt find was this, http://z.hubpages.com/u/687538_f248.jpg , but mine had no clear center, it was uniformly covered, and also it was not rough and bumpy looking like the pic, mine was flat and plump and very smooth looking, and pink color to it (kind of like if a bubble was flat). was this syphilitic or just a wart would you say???
should i advise the other people , that contacted my blood, and the other person i kissed about my syphilis? so they can get checked, or are the risks so low that it does not matter?????i really would find it embarrassing to tell them.
What is the chances of re occurance of syphilis of a previously pos RPR that turned neg by itself from immune system eradicating it without antibiotics? 50/50? is it rare?
I broken up my 7 questions into 7 seperate paragraphs, can you please answer those 7 questions for me DR. thank you for the previous message, you really answered with awesome and elaborate detail and thank you for answering all the questions i asked before. It is really appreciated. Happy holidays.
P.s. i was treated with Penicillin and i had the jerisch herxheimer reaction as well, and the skin growth on my arm was redish in color, with no pain, but very bad looking, kind of looking like a big coin on my arm. it is gone now Thank you Dr hook, i have read in the community forums you are one of the most knowledeable in the disease of syphilis worldwide, and i would greatly appreciate your input. if you can please answer my 4 questions!!
You are reading content posted in the STDs Forum
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
