Syphilis and your sexual health

Primary stage

Often occurring about three to four weeks after contracting the bacteria, the first sign is a small, round sore known as a chancre. Highly contagious but usually painless, the sore may appear wherever the bacteria entered the body, including the mouth, genitals or rectum.

Secondary stage

During the second stage of syphilis, you may develop skin rashes or a sore throat. While the rash usually appears on the palms or soles of the feet, it may be found anywhere on the body.

Other symptoms can include:

• Headaches
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Fatigue
• Aching joints
• Fever
• Weight loss
• Hair loss

Latent Stage

At this stage, the primary and secondary symptoms will vanish and there will be no other evident symptoms. Don’t be fooled by this stage, the bacteria will still be in your body.

Tertiary stage

This is the final stage of syphilis, which can occur years or even decades after the initial infection. Tertiary syphilis can be life-threatening, and may cause any of the following outcomes:

• Blindness
• Deafness
• Mental illness
• Memory loss
• Soft tissue and bone damage
• Neurological disorders, including stroke or meningitis
• Heart disease
• Neurosyphilis—an infection of the brain or spinal cord