Drug Medical Information

SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES: EFFECTS OF SYPHILIS

The disease progresses through four stages. In Stage 1 (primary stage) a painless sore, called a chancre (pronounced 'shanker'), appears three to four weeks after the spirochete enters the body. The chancre looks like a pimple or wart and appears where the spirochete entered the body, often on the penis, the lips, or the vaginal wall. The chancre may go unnoticed in women or may be ignored in men, because it is painless and disappears in a few weeks without treatment.
Stage 2 (secondary stage) occurs about six weeks after contact. Symptoms may include a rash over the entire body, welts around the genitals, low-grade fever, headache, hair loss, and sore throat. These symptoms also disappear without treatment. However, if the symptoms are noticeable, most victims see a doctor at this time. Thus, it is uncommon for cases of syphilis in the United States to progress to the third stage.
Stage 3 (latency stage) begins about two years after contact (up to five years in some people). After one year, the victim cannot transmit the disease to anyone else. The only exception is that a pregnant woman can transmit the disease to her fetus through the placental wall. Latency may last 40 or more years. During this time, the organism infects and irreparably damages the heart, brain, and other organs. By Stage 4 (tertiary stage), the disease may lead to heart failure, blindness, other organ damage, and finally death.
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