I Tested Positive for Syphilis

[mbamike]

I tested positive for syphilis back in May 2022. I received the two antibiotic injections in my ass. The stuff looked like Elmer's glue and it was thick. The sore in the left crease of my groin healed up and disappeared.

I have tested positive twice since then. I get tested every three months for HIV and STDs. I'm on prEP also.

I know these test results are not possible since I'm inactive sexually currently. My infectious disease caregiver, nurse practioner, says I'm fine, the level of infection has dropped. I went from a 3-4 to a 1-2. Honestly, I have no idea what this means. If you know, please enlighten me!

Anyways, she says I'm not infectious and it will take a little time for the test to return to negative. Is she right? Is it safe for me to have unprotected sex again without me infecting the guys? How long does it usually take for the test to return to negative? Are there any long-term effects I should be concerned about? Any enlightenment will be appreciated.

 

[KaraBulut]

So, tests for STDs can be categorized- at a high level- into two types:

1. Tests that look for virus, bacteria or parasites (e.g. antigen testing or cultures)
2. Tests that look for a reaction to the virus, bacteria or parasites (e.g. antibody tests)

Without knowing exactly which syphilis test they ran in your case, it sounds like they are doing antibody tests - probably VDRL or RPR. These tests are antibody qualitative tests- they say, "Yes, you have antibodies" or "No, you don't have antibodies". Since you had syphilis and you were treated - probably with high dose penicillin- you are unlikely to have an active infection but the antibodies from the infection can persist for 6-12 months after infection. As long as you have some persistent antibodies, you may continue to test positive for tests that look for antibodies to syphilis bacteria (treponema).