What do I need to know about syphilis testing?
The Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR) with Reflex to Quantitative RPR and Confirmation is the most commonly used syphilis test in the United States. It looks for antibodies that the body produces to fight a syphilis infection.
If you get tested before the test can pick up antibodies, you may get a "false negative" result. While it's likely that antibodies are detectable as early as 6 weeks after being exposed to the virus, we recommend a repeat test at 12 weeks to be absolutely certain that an earlier test didn’t miss a possible syphilis infection.
Positive RPR results are automatically confirmed with a second test at no extra cost to you.
Will I need to have a physical exam for this test?
No, you'll just need to provide a simple blood draw at the LabCorp or Quest Diagnostics test center near you. Fast and easy.
How fast can I get my results?
Syphilis tests can have a very fast turnaround. If you're getting tested for more than one STD, we will release all results at the same time...typically in 2 to 3 business days.
What do I need to know about the syphilis test result?
A negative syphilis test result means that there's no detectable disease in the blood at the time of the test. A positive test result may mean that you have syphilis...but if the syphilis test result is positive, the next step is to confirm the diagnosis with another test that can differentiate between syphilis and other conditions (e.g., Lyme disease, malaria and certain types of pneumonia that can turn the RPR positive, even in a person without syphilis).
Be aware that the RPR may remain positive at a low level after treatment, and can be positive even in healthy folks...which is why we always follow it up with a confirmatory test.