Treponema Pallidum Heamagglutinition Test

Treponema pallidum is an organism that causes syphilis. Syphilis is a contagious disease spread through sexual activity. It results in the formation of sores. In pregnant women, the disease may even spread to the fetus. The disease has three stages, primary, secondary and tertiary syphilis. The Treponema-Pallidum-Heamagglutinition test is used to find out the presence of antibodies to Treponema pallidum in the blood.

No special preparation is required for taking this test. However, you should tell your doctor if you are taking any medications, are allergic to anything, have bleeding problems, are taking blood-thinners or are pregnant. You should avoid having sex until the test results confirm that you no longer have syphilis. Your sex partner will also have to be tested for syphilis.

Treponema-Pallidum-Heamagglutination test is used to confirm the presence of syphilis infection. It is also used to screen patients after treatment to see if they are completely treated or not. Positive test indicates that the infection is still present.

The test is generally performed on a blood sample or a sore/skin sample. In case your doctor decides for a blood sample, an elastic band will be wrapped around your upper arm and a needle will be inserted into a vein. After collection of blood, the band will be removed. If the sample is taken from a sore, gentle pressure will be applied to collect fluid oozing out of the sore. If a skin sample is taken, a cotton swab will be gently rubbed over the affected area. You may experience slight pain during these procedures.