In dark-skinned people, the sores may be a lighter color than the surrounding skin. When syphilis has spread throughout the body, the person may have: A fever. A sore throat. A vague feeling of weakness or discomfort throughout the body. Weight loss. Patchy hair loss, especially in the eyebrows, eyelashes, and scalp hair. Swelling of the lymph nodes.
Nervous system symptoms of secondary syphilis, which can include neck stiffness, headaches, irritability, paralysis, unequal reflexes, and irregular pupils. Latent hidden stage If untreated, an infected person will progress to the latent hidden stage of syphilis. Relapses Some people with syphilis have a relapse of the infection during its latent stage. Tertiary late stage This is the most destructive stage of syphilis. Complications of this stage include: Gummata, which are large sores inside the body or on the skin.
Cardiovascular syphilis, which affects the heart and blood vessels. Neurosyphilis , which affects the nervous system. Congenital syphilis Congenital syphilis refers to syphilis passed from a mother to her baby during pregnancy or during labor and delivery.
Screening should be done: footnote 2 , footnote 1 At the first prenatal visit for all pregnant women. At the beginning of the third trimester of pregnancy and again at delivery for women who are at high risk for syphilis. Symptoms of congenital syphilis include: A highly contagious watery discharge from the nose. Painful inflammation. Contagious rash that frequently appears over the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. Reduced red blood cells in the blood anemia. Enlarged liver and spleen.
Failure to grow and develop normally failure to thrive. What Happens About 3 weeks—although the range is from 10 to 90 days—after a person is infected with syphilis, a sore chancre that is usually painless often appears on the genitals.
Complications of tertiary late syphilis include: Gummata, which are large sores inside the body or on the skin. What Increases Your Risk Your risk of syphilis increases if you: Have unprotected sex do not use condoms or do not use them correctly.
This risk is especially high among men who have sex with other men MSM. Have multiple sex partners, particularly if you live in an area of the country where syphilis is more common. Have a sex partner who has syphilis. Have sex with a partner who has multiple sex partners. Exchange sex for drugs or money. Have human immunodeficiency virus HIV infection and engage in any of the behaviors listed above. When should you call your doctor?
Call to make an appointment if you: Have sores, bumps, rashes, blisters, or warts on or around the genital or anal area or on any area of the body where you think they could be caused by a sexually transmitted infection STI.
Think you have been exposed to a STI. Watchful waiting Watchful waiting is a wait-and-see approach. Exams and Tests Diagnosis of syphilis includes a medical history and a physical exam. Your doctor may ask you questions such as: Do you think you have been exposed to any sexually transmitted infections STIs? What are your symptoms? Do you have sores in your genital area or anywhere else on your body? Do you or your partner engage in sexual behaviors that put you at risk , such as having sex without a condom or having more than one sex partner?
Have you had an STI in the past? The physical exam may include: A careful examination of the skin and mouth to look for any rash or other abnormalities.
For women, a pelvic exam to look for signs of syphilis. During the pelvic exam, your doctor will look for abnormal sores in the vagina or on the vulva, labia, rectal area, and inner thighs. These sores occur during the primary stage of syphilis. For men, a genital exam to look for signs of syphilis.
For newborns, an examination of both the newborn and the mother for symptoms. The evaluation for congenital syphilis begins with a review of the mother's health and testing the mother for syphilis. Additional testing should be done to find out if other sexually transmitted infections are present, especially: Chlamydia.
Human immunodeficiency virus HIV. People who have syphilis have a greater chance of being exposed to HIV. People at high risk of contracting syphilis include those who: Have unprotected sex do not use condoms or do not use them correctly. This risk is especially high among men who have sex with men MSM. Exchange money or drugs for sex prostitution.
Have human immunodeficiency virus HIV infection. Screening should be done: footnote 6 , footnote 4 At the first prenatal visit for all pregnant women. During the third trimester and again at delivery for pregnant women who have an increased risk for syphilis.
Treatment Overview Prompt treatment of syphilis is needed to cure the infection, prevent complications, and prevent the spread of the infection to others. Antibiotics effectively treat syphilis during any stage. Antibiotic treatment cannot reverse the damage caused by complications of late-stage syphilis, but it can prevent further complications. Follow-up blood tests are done to make sure that treatment has been effective.
Sex partners of a person who has syphilis need to be examined, tested, and treated for syphilis. Antibiotic treatment is recommended for all exposed sex partners. Prevention Self-care can lower your risk for an initial infection of or reinfection with syphilis or other sexually transmitted infections STIs. Practicing safer sex to prevent STIs.
Limit your sex partners, know whether your partner engages in risky sexual behaviors. Use a condom during sex. Using a condom is the best way to protect yourself from STIs. Medications The treatment of syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections STIs is complex. Medicine choices Antibiotics are always used to treat syphilis. What to think about In rare cases, the first attempt at treatment does not cure the syphilis infection.
References Citations U. Preventive Services Task Force Screening for syphilis infection in pregnant women: U. Preventive Services Task Force reaffirmation recommendation statement.
JAMA , 9 : — DOI: Kissing can transmit the disease if you develop sores around or inside the mouth. Simply touching syphilis sores can result in contracting the disease.
This includes hand stimulation, grinding, and just laying together naked. Sex toys that come into contact with infected sores can easily pass on the disease if they are shared before cleaning. Best practise is to completely avoid sharing sex toys, or at the very least, thoroughly cleaning them before sharing. The use of needles and razors causes tiny nicks in the skin in which STIs such as Syphilis, could be contracted through.
It is more common for needle sharing to result in the spread of Syphilis, however using a razor after it has been used on infected sores increases the risk of you contracting the disease.
A common myth, but Syphilis and most other STIs cannot be caught from public toilet seats. Syphilis is contracted from contact with infected genital sores.
The only STI that can be contracted from the sharing of towels and clothing is public lice. The sharing of food and drink, or cutlery cannot transmit Syphilis. You need to come into contact with the infected sores at the genitals to contract the disease.
However, you could, arguably, catch Oral Herpes from the sharing of unwashed cutlery, straws and drinkware, although it is uncommon. Now that you know how Syphilis is spread, and if you can catch it without having sex, take some time learn about the various symptoms and effects of the disease. Symptoms of syphilis tend to develop in stages, and will vary at each stage.
However, syphilis can be asymptomatic and you may not notice any symptoms for years. The first sign of syphilis will be a small sore a chancre at the point where the bacteria entered your body, usually around three weeks post-transmission. Sexual partners of patients with syphilis should be considered at risk and provided treatment per the STI Treatment Guidelines.
More information is available at www. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HIV Surveillance Report ; Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance, Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines, Alexander, J. Obstet Gynecol, Discordant results from reverse sequence syphilis screening—five laboratories, United States, Pathela P et al. Clinical Infectious Diseases ; HIV prevention through early detection and treatment of other sexually transmitted diseases—United States.
Congenital Syphilis: Preliminary Data. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Minus Related Pages. Basic Fact Sheet Detailed Version View Images of Symptoms Detailed fact sheets are intended for physicians and individuals with specific questions about sexually transmitted diseases. August 31, Video abstract external icon Syphilis Pocket Guide for Providers pdf icon — A booklet for providers containing need-to-know details on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of syphilis.
November 30, The Diagnosis, Management and Prevention of Syphilis: An Update and Review pdf icon external icon — A clinical guidance document for use in the diagnosis and management of syphilis. March STDs Home Page. Find an STD testing site near you. ZIP Code:. Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving the CDC website.
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Cancel Continue. An infected baby may be born without signs or symptoms of disease. However, if not treated immediately, the baby may develop serious problems within a few weeks. Untreated babies can have health problems such as cataracts, deafness, or seizures, and can die.
During the first primary stage of syphilis, you may notice a single sore or multiple sores. The sore is the location where syphilis entered your body. Sores are usually but not always firm, round, and painless. Because the sore is painless, it can easily go unnoticed. The sore usually lasts 3 to 6 weeks and heals regardless of whether or not you receive treatment. Even after the sore goes away, you must still receive treatment. This will stop your infection from moving to the secondary stage.
Mucous membrane lesions are sores in your mouth, vagina, or anus. This stage usually starts with a rash on one or more areas of your body. The rash can show up when your primary sore is healing or several weeks after the sore has healed.
Other symptoms you may have can include fever, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, patchy hair loss, headaches, weight loss, muscle aches, and fatigue feeling very tired. The symptoms from this stage will go away whether or not you receive treatment. Without the right treatment, your infection will move to the latent and possibly tertiary stages of syphilis. The latent stage of syphilis is a period of time when there are no visible signs or symptoms of syphilis.
If you do not receive treatment, you can continue to have syphilis in your body for years without any signs or symptoms. Most people with untreated syphilis do not develop tertiary syphilis. However, when it does happen it can affect many different organ systems.
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