- Case counts: Public Health Ontario. Query: Case counts of reportable diseases by public health unit and year. Toronto, ON: Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion; extracted on April 23, 2024.
- Population estimates: Statistics Canada 2014-2022, IntelliHEALTH Ontario, Ministry of Health, extracted on January 16, 2025.
- Population projections: Statistics Canada, 2023, IntelliHEALTH Ontario, Ministry of Health, extracted on April 23, 2024.
Syphilis
Information for Individuals
Testing
- A health care provider can order syphilis testing for you. They will either collect a blood sample from you or send you to a lab. You can get tested through:
- Your family health care provider
- A walk-in/virtual clinic
- A provider you see at other health services like Nursing Stations or Addiction Treatment Centres
- The Sexual Health Clinic:
- In-person appointment at our North Bay or Parry Sound office
- Phone appointment with blood collected at a lab of your choice
- Register online with GetaKit.ca, complete a self-assessment, and a paper requisition will be mailed to your home. You take this to a local lab to have your blood drawn for syphilis testing.
Additional syphilis information for guys who are into guys can be found on our Men's Sexual Health page.
Syphilis Information
SexandU.ca provides credible and up-to-date sexual health information for teens, adults, parents, teachers, and health care providers.
Information for Health Care Providers
Screening and Testing Recommendations
Screening in pregnancy:
Given increased syphilis rates in the Health Unit region and elsewhere in the province, the Health Unit strongly recommends universal syphilis screening at three different points during pregnancy:
- During the first trimester or at the first prenatal visit;
- Repeat screening at 28 to 32 weeks; and
- At delivery.
Information on test ordering for syphilis can be found at Public Health Ontario - Syphilis Serology.
Treatment
We've out together a Management of Syphilis Infections document. This document provides recommendations for interpretation of syphilis results, treatment recommendations, and follow-up serology for syphilis.
Contact our Sexual Health Clinic with any questions, or to order free Penicillin G Benzathine-Long Acting (LA) or other STI medication.
Phone: 705-474-1400 Ext. 5289 Email: clinic@healthunit.ca
Syphilis Infection Management
Recommendations for interpretation of syphilis results, treatment recommendations and follow-up serology for syphilis.
Additional Information
- Position statement from Canadian Pediatric Society: Diagnosis and management of congenital syphilis – avoiding missed opportunities.
- Post-exposure prophylaxis with Doxycycline (doxyPEP) has shown to be an effective approach for syphilis prevention among certain populations. See more information at CATIE - DoxyPEP.
Local Information
2023 Statistics for Syphilis
Incidence rate is the number of new cases of a disease divided by the number of persons at risk for the disease during a particular time period.
Cases:
12*
Incidence rate per 100,000 in 2023: 8.7
*Includes confirmed cases, infectious and non-infectious in 2023.
Incidence Rate per 100,000 of Syphilis by Year
