Private Syphilis Testing Near You

What syphilis is, and why it is back

Syphilis is a bacterial infection that was close to disappearing in the United States twenty years ago and has climbed steadily since: the CDC reported more than 200,000 cases in 2023, and cases of syphilis passed from mother to baby during pregnancy rose more than tenfold between 2012 and 2023. It spreads through direct contact with a syphilis sore during vaginal, anal or oral sex, and a sore can be somewhere you would never notice.

It moves in stages. The first sign is usually a single firm, painless sore where the bacteria entered the body, which heals on its own in a few weeks whether or not you are treated – which is exactly why people miss it. Weeks later a rash may appear, often on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet, sometimes with fever, swollen glands or patchy hair loss, and it too goes away by itself. After that the infection goes quiet, sometimes for years, while it is still there. It can still be passed on sexually during the first year or so of that quiet stage, and to a baby during pregnancy at any stage. Syphilis can also affect the eyes, ears or nervous system at any stage, not only after years – vision or hearing changes, a severe headache or confusion with any of the signs above need prompt medical care.

Why it is worth finding early

Left untreated for years, syphilis can damage the heart, brain, nerves and eyes, and during pregnancy it can cause miscarriage, stillbirth or serious illness in the baby. It also makes it easier to catch or pass on HIV. Prompt treatment reduces the risk of complications, and early syphilis is cured with a single injection of penicillin.

The CDC recommends syphilis testing for anyone with symptoms or a partner who tested positive, for all pregnant women, and regular testing for people at higher risk, including men who have sex with men and anyone living with HIV.

How the test works

Syphilis is diagnosed with a blood test that looks for the antibodies your body makes against the bacteria. It is a quick blood draw – no swab, no exam – and if the first screen is reactive, the laboratory runs a second, confirmatory test on the same sample, so your result reflects both. Sign in at the kiosk with your name and date of birth, give the sample, and you are done in about five minutes.

A blood test cannot tell you what a sore is on the day it appears; antibodies take time to develop. If you have a sore right now, call and describe it – a care advisor can tell you whether to test today, come back, or see a clinician who can examine it.

Before you go: No preparation at all: no fasting, nothing to bring. Drink water as usual; it makes the blood draw easier. Every test we offer is FDA-cleared and run in a CLIA-certified laboratory, the same tests a hospital or doctor’s office would order.

When to test

If you have a sore, a rash or a partner who tested positive, test now. If you had an exposure and feel fine, timing matters more for syphilis than for most infections, because the antibodies the test looks for can take weeks to appear. The timing is on our When to Get Tested page, or call (866) 872-1888 and a care advisor will tell you which day to go in and whether a repeat test makes sense.

After a positive result: treatment and follow-up

Syphilis is curable at every stage. A member of our care team calls you, explains the result, and arranges a consultation with a physician who sets up treatment: for early syphilis, one injection of long-acting penicillin; for infection that has been present longer, a series of three weekly injections. If you have vision changes, severe headache, hearing loss or you are pregnant, get prompt medical care rather than waiting.

Avoid sex until any sores have healed and treatment is complete. Partners from the last few months need to be tested, and the CDC recommends follow-up blood tests at six and twelve months after treatment to confirm the infection is clearing – the antibody levels fall slowly, and the physician tracks them. When it is time, call and we will set it up.

Getting tested privately

We do not bill your insurance. Your testing information is handled confidentially by the physicians and laboratories providing your care. Your lab visit does not announce why you are there: our partner labs collect samples for many different kinds of testing, and to other people in the waiting room you are simply another person having a routine lab visit. The charge on your card shows as RSC Health, and your result goes only to your private online account. Order online, or call (866) 872-1888 and a care advisor will place the order with you and find a lab near you.