Syphilis home test

What is a syphilis test, and when should I take one?

A syphilis test can detect a current or past infection through blood tests or by directly identifying the pathogen. By using various blood-based tests, it is possible to distinguish between active and cured syphilis. To reliably detect a syphilis infection, you should wait about 10 weeks (diagnostic window). This is because the pathogens are not detectable immediately after infection.

Who should get tested for syphilis?
 

• People with an active and varied sex life
• Sex workers

• Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at greater risk of infection

  At s.a.m health, you can get tested for syphilis reliably and anonymously and receive professional counseling over the phone.

Syphilis symptoms

How do I know if I have syphilis? Syphilis symptoms are often subtle or nonspecific, making them easy to miss or mistake for other conditions.

Syphilis typically progresses through 3 distinct stages. Importantly, the periods between stages are often completely symptom-free.

Stage 1

approx. 3-6 weeks after infection

Skin ulcers: The classic syphilis symptom is a painless ulcer appearing about 3 weeks after exposure. It develops at the infection site - vagina, anus, rectum, mouth, or penis - with a characteristic hard edge, earning the name 'hard chancre'.

Some time after the ulcer appears, the surrounding lymph nodes swell.

Stage 2

approx. 4-10 weeks after infection

The bacteria (Treponema pallidum) spreads throughout the body via the bloodstream. Stage 2 symptoms may include:

• Skin rash on the trunk and on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet
• Fever, tiredness, feeling ill
• Hair loss
• Wart-like skin changes on the genitals and anus

The symptoms may subside and then return later.

Stage 3

After more than a year, this becomes 'late syphilis,' requiring longer antibiotic treatment than early-stage syphilis. Late syphilis can cause serious organ damage affecting nerves, brain, and blood vessels.

Stage 3 rarely occurs nowadays - syphilis is usually diagnosed and treated earlier!

Good to know: Not everyone affected goes through all stages. Sometimes a phase is skipped or goes unnoticed and without (noticeable) symptoms.

Test procedure for reliable syphilis tests

TPHA-/ TPPA-Test

Your body produces antibodies after syphilis infection. TPHA and TPPA tests can detect these antibodies for life. If these tests are negative and your last potential exposure was at least ten weeks ago, you don't have syphilis.

Syphilis confirmation test

A positive screening test (TPPA or RPR) does not necessarily confirm a diagnosis of syphilis. That is why it is important to have a confirmatory test performed at a doctor’s office or public health department after a positive screening test (including at s.a.m health). By the way, in the prenatal care record, the syphilis blood test is called the LSR test and is part of the standard examination.

RPR-Test

For people with a previous diagnosis of syphilis, there is another test that only reacts if the infection is active. The RPR test detects antibodies that occur in the case of an active syphilis infection that requires treatment.

What is syphilis?

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by bacteria. It's one of the four most common STIs, alongside chlamydia, gonorrhea, and HIV. Before we explore your syphilis home test options, here are key facts about syphilis:

• Syphilis is also called 'lues' or 'hard chancre'
• A syphilis infection increases your risk of contracting HIV
• According to the Robert Koch Institute, Germany recorded 9,519 syphilis cases in 2024 – a new all-time high since the introduction of nationwide reporting. Case numbers continue to rise. (Source: RKI, Epidemiologisches Bulletin 39/2025)

How is syphilis treated?

Syphilis is effectively treated with antibiotics, typically administered through muscle injection. We know sex is enjoyable, but you should avoid sexual activity until treatment is complete to prevent transmission.