Click To Learn About The Stages Of Syphilis

 Primary Stage

• First stage symptoms appear after 10 – 90 days.

• A red often painless sore may appear on your genitals, mouth, and bum.

• If untreated the sore will go away after a few weeks, however the infection will lead to the next stage.

 Secondary

• Second stage symptoms can occur from two to six month after initial infection

• Rash on the palm of your hands, bottom of feet and other parts of your body

• Sore throat, fever, muscle/ join pains, swollen lymph glands, patchy hair loss.

 Latent

Early Latent

• Usually within first 12 months after syphilis infection

• No Symptoms

• Individuals are still infectious and are able to spread syphilis

Late Latent

• After roughly two years, individuals progress to late latent syphilis and are not infectious. However, they MUST still be treated in order to prevent onset of tertiary syphilis.

 Tertiary

• Tertiary syphilis is rare and develops due to syphilis infections going untreated

• It can appear 10–30 years after infection was first acquired, and it can be fatal. 

• Tertiary syphilis can affect multiple organ systems, including the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, blood vessels, liver, bones, and joints. Symptoms of tertiary syphilis vary depending on the organ system affected.

• Your risk of contracting HIV increases when you or your partner have Syphilis

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• Open Syphilis sores can allow an entry point of HIV into your body, and Syphilis inflammation will attract immune cells that are vulnerable to HIV infection. Remember, Syphilis symptoms are not always noticeable

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• Regardless of contracting a Syphilis infection, HIV cannot be passed on if people living with HIV are on HIV treatment with a sustained undetectable viral load (UVL).