Syphilis in pregnancy

Syphilis can cross from the pregnant person to the developing baby during pregnancy and can also affect the baby around birth. The pregnant person may have no symptoms, or symptoms may have faded, so screening and a careful history are useful. The stage of infection helps the clinician choose the treatment schedule. The maternity team may recommend follow-up checks for both the pregnancy and the infection.

Tell your obstetric or primary-care clinician promptly if you have a positive test, a recent exposure, or a sore or rash that could be related. Do not delay treatment while waiting for symptoms. Share your allergy history and all medicines, attend every prescribed treatment visit, and keep follow-up appointments. Partners should be offered testing and treatment to reduce the chance of reinfection. STI screening can assess for other infections when appropriate.

Contact your maternity team promptly after a positive result or known exposure. Seek urgent assessment for severe headache, vision or hearing changes, weakness, confusion, or other sudden neurological symptoms. A new genital, oral, or anal sore should be assessed rather than watched at home.

Ask which stage is suspected, which treatment schedule is recommended in pregnancy, how follow-up will monitor the infection, and whether the baby needs additional assessment. Ask when partners should be tested and how to prevent reinfection.