Syphilis – Episode 60

The Good GP

In this episode, The Good GP interviews Dr Donna Mak on Syphilis, including the three current outbreaks in Australia and in particular WA. Dr Donna Mak is a sessional GP at the M Clinic, Associate Professor and Domain Chair, Population and Preventive Health, School of Medicine, The University of Notre Dame, and Public Health Physician, Communicable Disease Control, Department of Health, Western Australia. Dr Mak explains the importance of identifying high-risk people and screening. We also explore the: • Symptoms and presentations, • Testing and diagnosis, and • Treatment, the issue of reinfection and follow-up *Correction: Treatment is injectable Benzathine Penicillin at a dosage of 2.4 million units not grams. This is usually given as two syringes of 1.2 million units. Please contact your local health department for more information. Dr Donna Mak and Dr Benjamin Scalley hosted a webinar on 'Sexually Acquired Syphilis and Congenital Syphilis' in July 2019. The recording is available here: https://www.racgp.org.au/education/professional-development/online-learning/webinars/hiv-and-hepatitis/sexually-acquired-syphilis-and-congenital-syphilis