I Got a Positive VDRL Test
A few weeks ago, I went in for some routine blood work and got a surprise: my VDRL test came back positive. At first, I panicked. I had no idea what that even meant—just that it sounded serious. Syphilis? Really? I didn’t feel sick, and I certainly didn’t expect that result. But the journey that followed taught me a lot, and I wanted to share that here for anyone else who’s confused, anxious, or just curious.
First off: the VDRL test isn’t a confirmation that you have syphilis. It’s a screening tool. It looks for antibodies that your body produces when it’s fighting off something—possibly Treponema pallidum, the bacteria that causes syphilis, but also potentially other infections or conditions. Autoimmune disorders, pregnancy, even the flu can sometimes trigger a false positive. I didn’t know that. Most people don’t.
There’s a really helpful article that breaks all this down clearly:
https://askdocdoc.com/articles/688-vdrl-test-full-form-purpose-results--what-a-positive-test-means
It helped me get past the initial fear and start understanding what this test actually measures.
The thing about VDRL is, it’s just the first step. You usually need a second, more specific test to confirm if you truly have syphilis. This was something I found explained really well in a post I read on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/askdocdoc_the-vdrl-test-is-a-screening-toolnot-a-final-activity-7348010712398512129-qDf2
It made me realize how often we treat any test result like the final word when it’s really just the beginning of a diagnostic conversation.
I also came across a graphic on Pinterest that helped me visualize how the test fits into the bigger picture of sexual health screening:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/928445279435712228
It showed that VDRL is used during pregnancy, before surgeries, or if you show certain symptoms—basically, it’s more common than I realized.
When I went back to my doctor with questions, they explained the idea of “titers”—basically how strong the positive result is. A low titer might mean past infection or a false positive, while a high one could suggest active disease. I later saw an Instagram post about this exact thing that helped me understand how doctors track the numbers:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DLz8njxKB8C/
The timing of the test also matters. If you test too early, it might be negative even if you’ve been exposed. I saw someone on Threads talk about that delay:
https://www.threads.com/@askdocdoc/post/DLz8mqEsVrh
It really helped me see why repeat testing is sometimes necessary.
There’s also a great tweet from AskDoctors24 that debunks the myth that a negative test means you're automatically in the clear:
https://twitter.com/AskDoctors24/status/1942244933831696654
That one got me thinking about how much misinformation is out there—and how often we take these things at face value without understanding the science behind them.
And finally, I read a Facebook post that talked about how people stay reactive even after treatment, and why doctors monitor trends in antibody levels, not just a single “positive” or “negative”:
https://www.facebook.com/122099392514743210/posts/122132025848743210
That helped me breathe a little easier.
What started as a scary moment became a chance to get educated, and that’s why I’m sharing this now. One test result doesn’t define your health or your worth. But it can be a wake-up call to pay closer attention, ask questions, and look beyond fear.