Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease(STD) that is spread from person to person through sexual contact. It is caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum, which causes infection when it gets into broken skin or mucus membranes, usually of the genitals.

Symptoms of syphilis infection.

Syphilis has stages of symptoms, at the first stage, a sore called chancre appears after 2 to 5 weeks of sexual contact with the person who has syphilis. The chancre may look like a pimple, a blister, or an open sore. It usually appears in the genital area of a man or woman, it also appears less commonly on the lips, fingers, anus or mouth. The sore is full of germs which are easily passed on to another person. The sore is usually painless, if it’s inside the vagina, the woman may not know she has it and she can easily infect another person. The sore only lasts a few days and then goes away by itself without any treatment, but the disease continues to spread in the body. In the second stage, rashes appear all over the body, mostly on the hands, feet, and genital area, weeks or months later, there may be sore throat, mild fever, mouth sores, or swollen joints. In addition, other signs may include; headaches, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, weight loss, and muscle aches.

All of these signs usually go away by themselves, and then the person often thinks he is well, but the disease continues. Without adequate treatment, syphilis can invade any part of the body, causing heart disease, paralysis, insanity, and many other problems.

Can syphilis be cured?

Yes, it can! With the right antibiotics from your healthcare provider.