Syphilis still positive

[Maxthine]

Dear Sir/Madam,

My wife got syphilis in her blood but not in her private area.
We found out when she did the VDRL test for pregnancy.
Now we have a newborn boy that already vaccinated with Benzathine Penicillin (10 times).
I hope the syphilis in my baby will cured as soon as possible.

My wife also had the injections too for last 5 months already.(3 injections in 3 weeks)
The problem is it's already 5 months but the blood test still shows she's syphilis positive 1:4.
She's now under pressure by it and the doctor said if another test she's positive she might need another injection.
I hope Sir/Madam can give us explanation on this complicated virus. Why is the virus wont go negative?

Thanks.

Maxthine

[Vance2335]

As long as she has been treated...yes.

[Maxthine]

Aj,

Thanks for your article and explanation. My wife thought that she got the virus form her ex-fiance few years ago. Besides she had a miscarriage few years ago and reported that the fetus has a virus. That's what she told me. But she never check her blood before she met me until her second pregnancy(with me).

By looking at her case and listening to your comment I understand that the virus wont go negative for certain time. Maybe take months, year or years.

But, does it safe for us to not use condoms?

Thanks

[auntiejessi]

Hi there -

Your wife may remain positive by VDRL for life, but if there is no increase in the numbers, she does not have syphilis.  This can easily be confirmed by a TPHA, TPPA, or FTA-ABS test.   (They are all similar, and any of those tests can be used to confirm a positive test.  If those tests are negative, she does not have syphilis.)  She may have antibodies for life.

Her VDRL is a 1:4.  It may drop to a 1:2, or 1:1, but it may not.  She's just fine as long as it hasn't gone up at all.

I'm shocked that your doctors don't know this.  Here is something to show them - http://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment/2006/genital-ulcers.htm#genulc6

You've had a baby with this woman, so I'm assuming that you had unprotected sex.  You didn't get it then, so my guess is that she got this from her mother during childbirth, or it's an old infection from another partner (if she's had other partners) and got it treated and didn't know.  You won't get it now.

Aj

[gracefromHHP]

she doesn't have active syphilis at this time just because her vdrl is still positive. it can stay positive for quite some time.


grace

[Maxthine]

i did kissed her but i'm sure and agree with you. it is save to share our emilase. last week we went for VDRL test resulted non-reactive for me and 1:4 for her. she's quite sad that this case limited our sexual relationship. there's no clue of when the virus goes negative.

[gracefromHHP]

you won't get syphilis from kissing her.

did you get tested too?

grace

[Maxthine]

thanks grace, i really hope the virus is no longer active like you said.
i just afraid she will infect me by sexual relationship.
a nurse told us to use condoms but how about kissing?

[gracefromHHP]

this is just it remaining positive then and not because it's still an active infection.  It can take a year before tests go negative again.

grace

[Maxthine]

Grace,

Her blood test result maintain 1:4 from the first until the last test.

Thanks for any comment.

[gracefromHHP]

the VDRL can stay positive even after treatment.   Are her results changing each time or staying about the same?

[Vance2335]

I don't know all that much about syphilis. I encourage you to go into the expert community and either pay to post and ask one of the Dr's this question or use the search field the see if the Dr's have answered this questions before.