Syphilis infection occurs in 3 distinct stages. healthren.com

Early or primary syphilis. People with primary syphilis will develop one or more chancre sores. The sores resemble large round bug bites and are often hard and painless. They occur on the genitals or in or around the mouth somewhere between 10-90 days (average 3 weeks) after exposure. Even without treatment they heal without a scar within 6 weeks.

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The secondary stage may last 1-3 months and begins within 6 weeks to 6 months after exposure. People with secondary syphilis experience a rosy "copper penny" rash typically on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. They may also experience moist warts in the groin, white patches on the inside of the mouth, swollen lymph glands, fever, and weight loss. Like primary syphilis, secondary syphilis will resolve without treatment. healthren.com

Latent syphilis. This is where the infection lies dormant (inactive) without causing symptoms.

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Tertiary syphilis. If the infection isn't treated, it may then progress to a stage characterized by severe problems with the heart, brain, and nerves that can result in paralysis, blindness, dementia, deafness, impotence and even death if it's not treated.

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How Is Syphilis Diagnosed?

Syphilis can be easily diagnosed with a quick and inexpensive blood test given at your doctor's office or at a public health clinic. healthren.com

If you have a chancre, your doctor will take a swab or scraping of the sore. It will then be sent to a lab to analyze under a microscope for the characteristic bacteria. healthren.com