Common syphilis test unreliable

By Joan Mugenzi Dr Donna Kabatesi of the Mulago Sexually Transmitted Infections Clinic has told people not to rush for syphilis treatment simply because they have tested positive to the Syphilis test. “The Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) test that is commonly available is unreliable,” she told women at a meeting of women living with HIV/AIDS in Kampala recently. “The VDRL test was developed as a test that is cheap but it won’t pick only syphilis. It can pick other ailments, so one needs to interpret it carefully,” Kabatesi warned. She advised people that before anyone goes for treatment, they should undertake a repetitive test. If the test reads weakly reactive or weakly positive, one needs to go back for another test after one week especially if they have not contracted syphilis before. If for the second test, it still reads weakly reactive, then treatment should be ignored. The reason for this is that the syphilis antibodies should be rising. So if after a week one still has a weak reaction, then it is possible the test is picking other ailments, Kabatesi said. She added that out of every 100 people who test reactive to syphilis, half of the number may not be having syphilis. It is estimated that one of every 10 sexually active people might have syphilis. Syphilis “is a chronic disease that is transmitted during sexual intercourse or any other intimate contact; it can also be transmitted from a pregnant woman to the foetus in the uterus or by contact of the infant with a maternal lesion during birth.” Kabatesi says that in the first stages of syphilis, a person may develop a painless wound anywhere on the sexual organs but it can disappear even without treatment. In some cases, somebody may develop a rash, but it will not itch. The rash may also disappear, but the disease will progress. One may also lose patches of hair or develop warts on private parts. “Syphilis is a quiet disease that can progressively eat away the body and you can easily spread it to other people,” she said.. In the late stages, which may take three to four years, the disease may become severe and one may run mad, develop heart problems or bone/nerve problems. Dr Kabatesi, however, said that syphilis is very sensitive to treatment. Any penicillin treatment will fight the disease.