A single dose of penicillin works just as well to cure early syphilis as the three-injection regimen now used by many doctors, a new clinical trial says.
Second and third doses of benzathine penicillin G don't provide any additional benefit in treating early-stage syphilis, researchers reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.
"Benzathine penicillin G is highly effective against syphilis, but the three-dose regimen can be burdensome and deter people from attending follow-up visits with their health care providers," said Carolyn Deal, chief of the enteric and sexually transmitted infections branch of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
"The new findings offer welcome evidence for potentially simplifying treatment with an equally effective one-dose regimen, particularly while syphilis rates remain alarmingly high," Deal said in a news release. She was not involved in the research, which NIAID funded.
Syphilis continues to be a health threat for sexually active Americans, researchers said in background notes. In 2023, the nation saw more than 209,000 syphilis cases, up 61% from 2019 levels.
