Can syphilis be detected by routine physical examination

In most cases, syphilis cannot be detected in the ordinary physical examinations we do every day. Don’t rely on routine physical examinations for sexually transmitted diseases. It is really unreliable. Routine physical examinations are like a basic "annual examination" for the body. The items are set up to address universal basic health issues, such as liver and kidney function, blood sugar and blood lipids, color ultrasound chest X-rays of common organs, hematuria routines, etc. They will not actively include testing for sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis and HIV into regular packages. After all, such testing involves extremely personal privacy, and for ordinary people without high-risk exposure history, universal screening is not very cost-effective.

I met a 28-year-old programmer when I was rotating in the dermatology department. The company arranges a routine physical examination package that costs thousands of dollars every year. Every year, the report is all excellent. I handed in a new patient a while ago without any protection. Not long after, a hard and painless lump appeared in the coronary sulcus. I came to register for a syphilis and double positive test. When I got the result, I was confused. She said that there was nothing wrong with the physical examination I had just last month. How did I get this disease? It took him a long time to explain it to him before he figured it out. It turned out that the routine physical examination he did every year did not cover this item at all. It was very normal for it to be missed.

Of course, not all examinations with the word "physical examination" cannot detect it, such as military enlistment, physical examination for kindergarten teacher qualifications, screening before blood donation, and physical examinations for special positions in some units, which will additionally screen for four infectious diseases, including syphilis testing. In this case, if there is an infection, it can be detected, but this is no longer within the scope of the "routine physical examination" we usually talk about.

In fact, the industry has previously discussed whether to include syphilis screening as a required item in routine physical examinations. Scholars who support it believe that the proportion of latent syphilis infections is now high. Many people have been infected for a long time without obvious symptoms. If detected early, they can be cured with a few injections of long-acting penicillin, leaving almost no sequelae. In the long term, it will damage the nerves and cardiovascular system, making treatment much more difficult. The opposing view is that hastily including sexually transmitted diseases into routine screening can easily lead to workplace discrimination and unnecessary conflicts between partners. On the contrary, it will make some people who need screening resist regular physical examinations, and the gain outweighs the loss. This discussion has not yet reached a unified conclusion.

If you have really engaged in high-risk behaviors, or are worried that you are at risk of infection, don't wait for the annual routine physical examination. Go to the hospital and register yourself with a dermatology or dermatology and venereology department. They say they want to check for syphilis antibodies. The results can be obtained for tens to more than a hundred yuan. Don't feel embarrassed. Doctors see many such patients every day and will not ask for additional privacy. It is better to check early and be reassured than anything else.