Editing Syphilis (section)

===Early infections===
The first-line treatment for uncomplicated syphilis (primary or secondary stages) remains a single dose of [[Intramuscular injection|intramuscular]] [[benzathine benzylpenicillin]].<ref name=CDC2015a/> The bacterium is highly vulnerable to penicillin when treated early, and a treated individual is typically rendered non-infective in about 24 hours.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/infectious-diseases/sexual-health-sexually-transmitted-infections/canadian-guidelines/syphilis/treatment-follow-up.html|title=Syphilis guide: Treatment and follow-up|date=7 July 2022|publisher=Government of Canada}}</ref> [[Doxycycline]] and [[tetracycline]] are alternative choices for those allergic to penicillin; due to the risk of [[birth defect]]s, these are not recommended for pregnant women.<ref name=CDC2015a>{{cite web|last1=Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)|title=Syphilis-CDC fact sheet|url=https://www.cdc.gov/std/syphilis/stdfact-syphilis-detailed.htm|website=CDC|access-date=1 March 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150225182123/http://www.cdc.gov/std/syphilis/stdfact-syphilis-detailed.htm|archive-date=25 February 2015}}</ref> [[Antibiotic resistance|Resistance]] to [[macrolide]]s, [[rifampicin]], and [[clindamycin]] is often present.<ref name=ST10/> [[Ceftriaxone]], a third-generation [[cephalosporin]] [[antibiotic]], may be as effective as penicillin-based treatment.<ref name=Kent08/> It is recommended that a treated person avoid sex until the sores are healed.<ref name=CDC2014/> In comparison to azithromycin for treatment in early infection, there is lack of strong evidence for superiority of azithromycin to benzathine penicillin G.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bai |first1=Zheng Gang |last2=Wang |first2=Baoxi |last3=Yang |first3=Kehu |last4=Tian |first4=Jin Hui |last5=Ma |first5=Bin |last6=Liu |first6=Yali |last7=Jiang |first7=Lei |last8=Gai |first8=Qiong Yan |last9=He |first9=Xiaodong |last10=Li |first10=Youping |date=13 June 2012 |title=Azithromycin versus penicillin G benzathine for early syphilis |journal=The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews |issue=6 |pages=CD007270 |doi=10.1002/14651858.CD007270.pub2 |issn=1469-493X |pmid=22696367|pmc=11337171 }}</ref>