I went to the doctor today for a sore throat on my right side. The lymphnodes are swollen and my tonsil has what the doctor called an ulcer on it. I've been sick with a cold for almost two weeks, but the doctor said it had nothing to do with my cold. He said it was syphilis. Here's the problem, I haven't had oral sex with anyone in six months. I have had vaginal sex twice, but I read that the sore appears where the infection enters the body. I was treated with a penicillin shot, then tested (results in eight days) and then given a prescription for penicillin for ten days. I've also read that one only needs to take pills if they have had syphilis for over a year. (I tested clean in December.) I feel taken advantage of in a way. Should I believe the doctor and take my pills, or wait for the test results?
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Wrong diagnosis?
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Syphilis is no longer a common disease, but it's a very nasty one, and the sooner treated the better. You certainly shouldn't wait a year. I'd be surprised at the doctor's diagnosis too, considering your history, but having started treatment it would be dangerous to stop it (stopping treatment halfway through a penicillin course encourages resistant bacteria) and it won't harm you if it turns out to be something else - it may even be another bacterium that penicillin will also deal with - it's a broad spectrum antibiotic.