If syphilis bacteria are present in the sore, they will show up with a characteristic appearance. A blood test is another way to determine whether someone has syphilis. Shortly after infection occurs, the body produces syphilis antibodies that can be detected by an accurate, safe and inexpensive blood test. A low level of antibodies will stay in the blood for months or years even after the disease has been successfully treated. Because untreated syphilis in a pregnant woman can infect and possibly kill her developing baby, every pregnant woman should have a blood test for syphilis.
More cases occur each year than come to the attention of health officials.
Two hundred sixty-five counties had syphilis rates above the U.S. Public Health Service's Healthy People 2000 objective of 4 cases per 100,000. In 1999, syphilis occurred primarily in persons aged 20 to 39, and the reported rate in men was 1.5 times greater than the rate in women. The incidence of syphilis was highest in women aged 20 to 29 years and in men 30 to 39. Some fundamental societal problems, such as poverty, inadequate access to health care, and lack of education are associated with disproportionately high levels of syphilis in certain populations. Syphilis reflects one of the most glaring examples of racial disparity in health status, with the rate for African Americans nearly 30 times the rate for whites.