Can female syphilis patients transmit to the fetus? What are the transmission routes of syphilis

Syphilis is a chronic contagious disease. The pathogen of syphilis is the pale spirochete, which has serious pathogenicity to humans and invades any organ, producing various symptoms. Treponema pallidum only infects humans, so syphilis is the only source of infection. The transmission route of acquired syphilis is mainly through sexual intercourse, with a few being transmitted through kissing or through the placenta to the fetus, causing the disease. Untreatable syphilis patients have the greatest infectivity within one year after infection, with the longer the disease period, the less contagious it becomes. After 4 years of infection, sexual contact is generally not contagious, but it can still infect the fetus.

Common transmission routes of syphilis

Syphilis is highly contagious, and the transmission routes can be divided into two types: direct contact and non-contact. Most people do not go to inappropriate places and feel incredible about having syphilis. The main transmission routes of syphilis are as follows.

1. Sexual contact transmission

In clinical practice, more than 90% of syphilis is transmitted through sexual contact transmission with syphilitic patients. The methods of sexual contact include sexual intercourse, hot kisses, and skin contact hugs. Due to the thin skin mucosa and abundant blood vessels in the genital area of the human body, sexual intercourse is in an extremely congested state. Sexual friction can cause minor damage, creating conditions for the invasion of syphilis pallidum.

2. Indirect contact transmission

Contact with objects used by syphilis patients, such as clothing, blankets, items, supplies, tools, toilets, bath towels, etc., may be contaminated by the patient's secretions and infect the pale spirochete of syphilis. Healthy individuals who live closely with syphilis patients are prone to contracting syphilis when they come into contact with pathogenic bacteria in minor wounds.

3. Bloodborne transmission

Syphilis has a longer course of disease, and Treponema pallidum can lurk in the patient's blood for a period of time. Especially for patients with latent syphilis, who are infected with pathogens but have no clinical manifestations, healthy individuals and other disease patients can be infected with syphilis by inputting blood and blood products provided.

4. Placental transmission

When pregnant women are infected with syphilis, they can be infected through the placenta during pregnancy. Pregnant women suffering from syphilis, if not detected and treated in a timely manner, or if not treated thoroughly, syphilis pallidum can be transmitted to the fetus through placental blood circulation, causing the fetus to be infected with syphilis. Placental transmission mainly occurs during early syphilis in pregnant women. When the fetus passes through an infected birth canal with syphilis, the pallidum pallidum in the birth canal can infect the fetus, leading to the transmission of syphilis in newborns and the onset of the disease.