A service provided by the BC Centre for Disease Control
In the years since SmartSexResource launched, we have developed a library of questions asked by you, and answered by our expert sexual health nurses.
Our answered questions library cover a broad range of sexual health topics and common questions we hear at our clinics.
In some cases your care provider will know that there is a pretty high likelihood that you have Syphilis, even before you get test results back.
If you have been told by a sexual partner that they have Syphilis, or if you have a sore or a rash that looks suspicious, your provider will offer treatment at the same time as testing. This helps you to be cured more quickly and decrease the risk of passing it on to others.
Syphilis can be cured with antibiotics called penicillin. Treatment is usually offered as an injection of a long-acting penicillin (Bicillin) into each hip or buttock muscle.
There are three separate tests done for syphilis with your blood sample. Sometimes, a syphilis test can react to something in your system that is from a different infection or condition.
Sometimes, one (or two) tests can show a Positive result, while the other tests are Negative, or Non- Reactive. You will be asked to repeat the blood test in two weeks if this happens. If the result remained the same after the repeat test, it would be considered a False Positive result.
It is common to not notice any symptoms if you have syphilis. If you get symptoms, they can include:
The best way to know if you have syphilis is to get tested from either a blood test, or a swab taken from sores or rashes if you have them.
Syphilis goes through different stages in your body, from active (having symptoms) to inactive (no symptoms). You can pass Syphilis to someone else in either of these stages.
Check out the resources below for some great information about Syphilis in pregnancy, developed by the University of British Columbia:
Hi there, thank you for your question.
No, pus on the tonsils does not necessarily indicate a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Chlamydia and gonorrhea of the throat are actually most often asymptomatic.
Pus on the tonsils is usually caused by commonly passed viruses. If you are concerned, you could visit your family doctor for an assessment. And if you have an elevated chance of getting an STI in the throat (ie. you are a person who gives oral sex to a person with a penis) then you could ask your doctor to test for chlamydia and gonorrhea of the throat to rule those out.
Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any more questions or concerns.
Health Nurse
Hi, and thank you for your question
If an individual has a fever and other symptoms associated with HIV seroconversion, they may experience some mild relief with paracetamol (acetaminophen) however, this will not cure the symptoms, nor will it cure the virus.
If you are concerned about an HIV infection, the best thing for you to do would be to visit a health care provider (family doctor, walk-in clinic, or a sexual health clinic) and get an HIV test. If you are living in British Columbia, have a look at our Clinic Finder to locate a clinic in your area.
Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any more questions or concerns.
Health Nurse
Hi, and thank you for your question
I’m not sure where you got tested and treated, however in British Columbia the recommended treatment for epididymitis is cefixime and doxycycline. Treatment with ciprofloxacin is supported by the Canadian guidelines.
If your symptoms are persisting, I would revisit your care provider. Further assessment may be required, including a referral to a specialist to rule out other causes of your symptoms, especially given that your chlamydia and gonorrhea tests were negative.
Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any more questions or concerns.
Health Nurse
Hi, and thanks for your question
You do not need to increase or change how frequently you get PAP screening done. The BC Cancer Agency sets these guidelines based on the current research and best practice. Their recommendation currently is for screening every 3 years after the age of 25. If they find anything unusual or atypical on a PAP test, they will make a recommendation for more frequent follow up at that time. So unless recommended otherwise, every 3 years is perfectly fine for you.
It’s also important to keep in mind that HPV is incredibly common and there are approximately 150 strains of the virus, most of which cause no harm and present no symptoms. The majority of sexually active adults will have at least one HPV infection during their lifetime and not even know about it. In fact, HPV is so common that we often refer to it as the “common cold of the genitals.” Our HPV Patient’s Guide has lots of great information on HPV if you’re interested.
The most important thing you can do for yourself is to get a PAP screen every three years. You may also want to consider the HPV Vaccine (Gardasil-9) if the cost is not too prohibitive.
Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any more questions or concerns. Health Nurse
Hi, and thank you for your question
Mycoplasma genitalium is a bacterium that can be sexually transmitted and in some instances can cause urethral symptoms in men, but often is asymptomatic. Many individuals carry this bacteria around normally and suffer no symptoms or harm from it, so we typically don’t test for it routinely.
There are many things that can cause urethral symptoms in men, or individuals with a penis. Those things can include sexually transmitted bacteria including chlamyida, gonorrhea and herpes. Non-sti microbes, such as the virus that causes the common cold passed through oral sex, can also cause these symptoms and are also harmless. Other irritants can include soaps, detergents, dehydration, yeast and fungal infections, and increased alcohol intake or nicotine use.
If all things are ruled out and urethral symptoms are persistent and bothersome, then certainly you could ask your family doctor for testing for mycoplasma.
Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any more questions or concerns.
Health Nurse