Rpr test

[ET198227]

Hi I am pregnant and has two syphillis rpr tests one in first and one in third trimester. Both came out non reactive. Over the course of 12 years I have had 7 partners sometimes unprotected. Everything else was negative also but I am reading the rpr tests are not accurate after a certain amount of time. Would anyone know the answer to this? I am very confused. If I caught syphillis a long time ago would it be showing reactive or non?

[auntiejessi]

Absolutely and totally agree with klamidia. If you had syphilis this long, you'd have had symptoms by now and you wouldn't be able to miss them.

The lady at the lab is incorrect. They do it as standard practice during pregnancy because syphilis is very harmful to babies, and they want to make sure that you don't have it early on in pregnancy, and then later. Not every woman is honest about her activities, nor is every partner that women have.

It's just standard precautionary measures. They do it on every woman, no matter her history.

Rest easy and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy. :)

[ET198227]

Thank you both so much for responding to my question. I was reading if I get false negative rpr during pregnancy is can be either because I have hiv and that’s not showing up on my 4th generation tests (I tested negative) and when the diseases don’t show up on tests it’s something called prozone phenomenon? Has anyone heard of this? Sorry for the questions it’s just that I was not always safe in my past and never thought to before my pregnancy. It has been making me feel so scared for my baby as I am
Trying to do all the right things and tests.

[ET198227]

Also wasn’t sure what symptoms to look for exactly because I heard they are unreliable. I do however have sensitive skin and prone to a lot of rashes and itching

[auntiejessi]

False negative almost always occur in the very early stages of infection, when your body hasn't had enough time to develop antibodies, and at the very end. You are neither.

HIV can cause false positives, but doesn't usually cause false negatives.

I found this on prozone phenomenon - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3139290/

"The prozone effect is most often associated with secondary syphilis, Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infection, and pregnancy.[1]"

You don't have HIV.

Listen, syphilis isn't that common. I don't know where you live, but I'm guessing in the US. Syphilis has been on the rise recently, but in 2006, there were only 36,935 cases of syphilis reported in the US. (https://www.cdc.gov/std/stats/archive.htm - click on 2006) It was an increase from 2005, which was 33,288. Chances are good that you didn't get it, and weren't exposed to it. In 2017, it was 101,567. (https://www.cdc.gov/std/stats17/Syphilis.htm)

For comparison, 1,708,569 cases of chlamydia reported in 2017. (https://www.cdc.gov/std/stats17/chlamydia.htm)

It's good to test, but also to keep perspective. Chances are very, very slim that you were ever exposed to syphilis.

[ET198227]

I am from Chicago. I have been sexually a five since 2006 with a total of 7 partners.

[auntiejessi]

Chances of you having syphilis are really, really low, and your negative test results prove that. :)

[klamidia]

Rpr test measures the number of syphilis specific antibodies that your immune system produces to fight the infection, its a routine screening test for pregnant women as it is fast, and progress of the disease can be extrapolated of it. Now the only reason for consern that I see here is only if you had sex with a syphilis carrier days before the test. Otherwise you are fine. For all of these issues you can always talk to your doctor, he or she will explain :)). Now have an easy pregnancy, and good health!!!

[ET198227]

Thank you so much for answering me. So say if I had it for 12 or more years it would have still shown up as reactive? Sorry if it’s repetitive I just want to understand so I know I took the right test. I asked the lady at the lab why they make you do it twice during pregnancy and she says it’s because it could be wrong so I was crying all day thinking I could have it and it’s not showing up on the test.

[klamidia]

If you had It for 12 years there would have been symptoms and very unpleasant ones, 12 years is usually the mark when the disease is in the latter stages maybe even tertiary. So syphilis has an incubation period of 10 to 90 days,(when first symptoms appear) and everyone is different in terms of the speed with which produces the antibodies that are looked for with the rpr test, that is why you get 2 test, being both negative you can be sure you don't have it. And the test would have surely picked it up if you had it for 12 years. Stay calm and safe.