Syphilis Tests

Microhemagglutination assay (MHA-TP), (Syphilis Test), Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR) Test, (Syphilis Test), Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) Test, (Syphilis Test)

How To Prepare

Tell your doctor if you:

• Are taking any medicines, such as antibiotics.
• Are allergic to any medicines, especially antibiotics, or medicine used to numb the skin (anesthetics).
• Have had bleeding problems or take blood-thinners, such as aspirin or warfarin (Coumadin).
• Are or might be pregnant.

If you have syphilis, do not have sex until the test results show you are no longer infected or until you and your sex partner or partners have completed treatment and the infection has been cured. Your sex partners should be tested as well.

If you think you might have syphilis, do not have sex until testing shows that you are not infected.

Talk to your health professional about any concerns you have regarding the need for the test, its risks, how it will be done, or what the results may indicate. To help you understand the importance of this test, fill out the medical test information form(What is a PDF document?).

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Author:	Kathe Gallagher, MSW	Last Updated: October 2, 2007
Medical Review:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Jeanne Marrazzo, MD, MPH - Infectious Disease
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