Since the cost of VDRL is quite low it acts as a screening test for sexually transmitted disease – syphilis. The test is also easily available across the country at most of the labs. The test is not very accurate in the early or late stage of the disease and gives false negative results. The test is most accurate in the middle phase of the disease. HIV patients and some other conditions may also present with a false positive result.

VDRL is just a screening test and there may be instances of false negative or false positive. The screening test is most likely to be positive in the secondary and latent stages of syphilis. This test may give a false-negative result during early- and late-stage syphilis. This test must be confirmed with another blood test to make the diagnosis of syphilis. The VDRL test’s ability to detect syphilis depends on the stage of the disease. The test’s sensitivity to detect syphilis nears 100% during the middle stages, it is less sensitive during the earlier and later stages.

Firstly there is no need to panic as many times the results for VDRL can be false positive. You should contact a Dermatologist (Skin and Venereal Diseases specialist ). Your dermatologist will order another test which is the confirmatory test for Syphilis. Once that test also gives a positive report then the treatment would start.