ABOUT STIs

Syphilis can develop in three stages:

• primary syphilis
• secondary syphilis
• tertiary syphilis

Many people do not have any symptoms in the early stages. If you do get symptoms, you might notice the following:

Primary syphilis

• One or more sores or hard lumps at the area where the bacteria entered the body, for example: on the genitals, around the anus (arse) or in the mouth if you had oral sex. Often these sores are painless.
• The sores of primary stage syphilis are very infectious and may take two to six weeks to heal.

Secondary syphilis

If untreated, the secondary stage usually occurs some weeks later. The symptoms include:

• A painless rash that is not normally itchy. It can spread all over the body and is often seen on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
• Flat, wart-like growths around the anus (arse) or vulva.
• A flu-like illness, tiredness and loss of appetite, with swollen glands (this can last for weeks or months).
• White patches on the tongue or roof of the mouth.
• Patchy hair loss.

Tertiary syphilis

If syphilis remains untreated, it sometimes develops into tertiary syphilis after many years. In this stage, it can cause very serious damage to the heart, brain, eyes and nervous system and can become life-threatening.