Treatment

The first choice of treatment for syphilis is the long-acting benzathine penicillin G given through an intramuscular (IM) injection. For individuals who have penicillin allergies there are other antibiotics that can be used to treat the infection such as doxycycline and tetracycline. The chart below explains the recommended treatment based on which phase of syphilis the patient is in. For more information on the treatment of syphilis in different phases and for the treatment of other sexually transmitted infections check out this article.

Phase	Treatment	Treatment outcomes
Primary	One-time IM injection of long-acting benzathine penicillin G, 2.4 million units	Treat T. pallidum infection before progresses to other phases
Secondary	One-time IM injection of long-acting benzathine penicillin G, 2.4 million units	Treat T. pallidum infection before progresses to other phases; will not repair damage already done
Early Latent	One-time IM injection of long-acting benzathine penicillin G, 2.4 million units	Treat T. pallidum infection before progresses to tertiary phase; will not repair damage already done
Late Latent/Latent of unknown duration	Three IM injections of long-acting benzathine penicillin G, 7.2 million units total, given at weekly intervals	Treat T. pallidum infection before progresses to tertiary phase; will not repair damage already done
Tertiary	Three IM injections of long-acting benzathine penicillin G, 7.2 million units total, given at weekly intervals	Treat T. pallidum infection; will not repair damage already done

References:

1:  Syphilis Treatment and Care. (2015, April 17). Retrieved May 6, 2015, from http://www.cdc.gov/std/syphilis/treatment.htm

2:  Diseases Characterized by Genital, Anal, or Perianal Ulcers. (2014, August 15). Retrieved May 6, 2015, from http://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment/2010/genital-ulcers.htm