This article was compiled by Dr. Wujian Ke based on the latest syphilis treatment guidelines issued by the CDC on June 5, 2015, and is published with permission (). The syphilis spirochete is considered to be transmitted sexually only when syphilis skin lesions appear on the skin mucosa, Ke Wujian, Department of Venereal Diseases, Guangdong Provincial Dermatology Hospital. Since this type of skin lesion rarely appears one year after syphilis infection, sexual partners who have sexual contact with patients with stage I, stage II, or early latent syphilis require clinical and serologic evaluation as well as treatment. Those who have had sexual contact within 90 days with a patient diagnosed with stage I, stage II, or early latent syphilis need to be treated for early syphilis, even if their serology is negative. Persons who have had sexual contact for more than 90 days with a patient diagnosed with stage I, stage II, or early latent syphilis and for whom serologic results are not immediately available or follow-up is not possible need to be treated for early syphilis. If the serologic test is negative, treatment is not required. If the serologic test is positive, treatment should be based on clinical and serologic evaluation and the stage of syphilis infection. In certain areas or populations with a high prevalence of syphilis, sexual contacts with patients with advanced latent syphilis who possess high serologic test titers (i.e., > 1:32) for non-syphilis spirochetes (e.g., RPR, TRUST) need to be evaluated and treated, as high titers may indicate the possibility of early syphilis and their sexual partners need to be treated and followed up as early syphilis. Sexual partners of patients with advanced latent syphilis need to be evaluated clinically and serologically for syphilis, and their treatment needs to be based on a comprehensive evaluation. Sexual partners of patients with syphilis who are considered to be at risk for syphilis infection should be notified and evaluated in a confidential manner: 1) those who have had sexual contact with a patient with symptomatic early syphilis within 3 months; 2) those who have had sexual contact with a patient with symptomatic stage II syphilis within 6 months; and 3) those who have had sexual contact with a patient with early latent syphilis within 1 year. This article is authorized by Dr. Ke Wu Jian (). If you have any questions about this article, please visit my personal homepage ( )