RPR screen was reactive!

[momo1234]

I am a 23 y/o male living in the Massachusetts.  My RPR screen result was reactive.  I have read about syphilis and how rare it is as well as all the symptoms that occur.  

I had unprotected sex a few times with a girl I was seeing.  The last time we had sex being at the end of March or beginning of April this year.  There's a history of testicular cancer in my family so I check my genital area regularly and have never noticed a chancre.  I have also never had a chancre in my mouth.  I have never even had a cold sore in my life.  I have never had any secondary stage syphilis symptoms either.

A few questions I have are:
Is it possible to have syphilis and have absolutely no symptoms?
How common are false positives with RPR screenings?
Lastly, can syphilis affect and other lab values?

Thank you.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

The test itself takes 1 day but most labs that do the test do not do it every day.  I would think you would get a result in a few days at most.  EWH

[momo1234]

Thanks for your response.

Im having an FTA-ABS test done and will let you know the results.  Do you know how long it takes for this test to be completed?

Thanks

[Edward W Hook, MD]

You are correct that syphilis is rare and, I take it that you are heterosexual making the possibility that you have syphilis very, very low.  What is more likely is that you have a false positive test.  Typically when a person has a positive RPR test, the practice is then to perform a "confirmatory test" using a second, unrelated test.  This should be done in your case.

In the general population about 1.5% of people have false positive RPRs. they are more common in persons with other illness or people who are taking medications but can also occur in persons without other problems as well/

Syphilis can, but need not change other lab tests.

My prediction is that you will get a confirmatory treponemal test and it will be negative.  Pease let us know the outcome of your further testing.  EWH