Also, women may have lesions on the cervix where they cannot be seen except by a clinician during an examination. One to three injections of a special long-acting penicillin is the recommended treatment and the dose depends on how long a person has been infected with syphilis. Doxycycline or tetracycline for two to four weeks may also be used to treat syphilis but neither of these drugs is recommended especially for pregnant women. Infants of untreated mothers are treated with a special kind of penicillin in IV form for 7 to 10 days in the hospital. These usually happen later in the disease, although they can occur early in the infection, especially for people who have an impaired immune system.
Stillbirths are common among untreated mothers.
If you have sex with an untreated partner, you can get syphilis again and you would need to be treated all over again. Avoid sexual contact with people who have any kind of lesions or rashes. Receive testing and treatment if you have been exposed. Condom use offers some protection although lesions may be in areas that a condom does not cover. If you are infected, tell your partners right away so that they can get tested and treated.