Symptoms of Syphilis
Syphilis Fact Sheet (PDF 73 KB)
Primary Stage
In primary stage syphilis, a single sore
(called a chancre) or multiple sores appear in the genital
area. The chancre can appear within ten days to three months
after exposure, and it is found on the part of the body that
was exposed to the infected partner’s sore, such as the penis,
vulva, or vagina. Because the chancre is small and painless,
the infected person may not notice it. The chancre disappears
within a few weeks, whether or not a person is treated. If not
treated during the primary stage, the infection will go on to
the secondary stage.
Secondary Stage
This stage typically starts as a skin rash,
with brown sores about the size of a penny. The rash may cover
the whole body or appear in just a few areas, but it is almost
always on the palms of the hands and the bottoms of the feet.
Active bacteria are present in these sores, and any physical
contact with the broken skin of the infected person may spread
the infection at this stage. The rash usually heals within
several weeks or months.
Other symptoms may also occur, such as mild
fever, sore throat, patchy hair loss, and swollen lymph
glands. These symptoms may be very mild, and like the primary
stage, will disappear with or without treatment. The signs of
secondary syphilis may come and go over the next one to two
years.
Tertiary (late) Stage
If untreated, syphilis may progress to a stage
in which the disease is no longer contagious and no symptoms
are present.. Infection remains in the body, however, and the
bacteria can damage the heart, eyes, brain, nervous system,
bones, joints, or almost any other part of the body. This
stage can last for years or decades and can result in mental
illness, blindness, heart disease, and death.
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