How do you test for syphilis?
Getting tested is the only way to confirm if you have syphilis. There are 2 ways you can test:
a self-test kit you can do at home
a test at your GP or sexual health clinic
It can take 12 weeks (84 days) for syphilis to show up in a blood test. You should get a test if you think you might have been in contact with syphilis.
If you have symptoms of syphilis then you should go to your local sexual health clinic as they may treat you immediately without waiting for a test result.
Self-test kits
Our self-test kits will be delivered to your door. To get your results you need to:
take a blood sample from a fingerprick
post your sample to our lab in the Freepost pack
get a text message with your results within 72 hours of your sample arriving at the lab
Testing at a clinic
At your local sexual health clinic or GP surgery, they’ll use a blood test to check for syphilis. If you go to a clinic the clinician will take the blood sample for you.
If you have had syphilis before then they will also be able to do some extra tests to find out whether this is a new infection and to monitor whether treatment is working.
They might also check your genitals, anus and body for symptoms of the infection. If you have sores or ulcers, they can take a swab from these that can also be tested for infection.
