Syphilis

Symptoms

The symptoms of syphilis are similar for men and women. They're often mild and difficult to recognise, so you may pass on the infection without knowing you have it.

The symptoms also tend to change over time and may come and go.

Even if the symptoms do improve, there's stilla risk you could pass the infection on or develop serious problems if you don't get treatment.

This page covers:

Early symptoms of syphilis

Later symptoms of syphilis

Serious problems that can occur if syphilis is left untreated

Early symptoms of syphilis

The first symptoms of syphilis usually develop around two or three weeks after infection, although they can start later than this.

This stage of the infectionis known as "primary syphilis".

the main symptom isa small, painless sore or ulcer called a chancre that you might not notice
the sore willtypically be on the penis, vagina, or around the anus, although theycan sometimes appear in the mouth oron the lips, fingers or buttocks
most people only have one sore, but some people have several
you may also have Swollen glands in your neck, groin or armpits

Thesesymptoms usuallypass within two toeight weeks. But if the infection isn't treated, it may progress to a second stage (see below).

Later symptoms of syphilis

Further symptoms may develop a few weeks after the initial symptoms have passed. This is known as "secondary syphilis".

Symptoms of secondary syphilis include:

a blotchy red rash that can appear anywhere on the body, but often develops on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet
small skingrowths (similar to genital warts ) on women these often appear on the vulva and for both men and womenthey may appear around the anus
white patches in the mouth
flu-like symptoms , such as tiredness, headaches , joint painsand a high temperature (fever)
swollen glands
occasionally, patchy hair loss

These symptoms usually pass within a few weeks, although they may come and go overseveral months before they disappear.

You'll still be infected even if you don't have symptoms. This is known as "latent syphilis" and it can last for decades and lead to serious problems if not treated(see below).

It's still possible to pass on the infection during this stage, although this usually only happens within two years of becoming infected.

Serious problems if left untreated

Without treatment, a syphilis infection can last for years or decades without causing any symptoms.

Eventually, it can spread toparts of the body such as the brain or nerves and cause seriousand potentially life-threatening problems. This is known as "tertiary syphilis".

People with tertiary syphilis may experience: