Do I Have Syphilis? Signs and Symptoms of Syphilis

Syphilis Brief Overview

Syphilis is a common sexually transmitted infection that can cause serious illness. Having an active syphilis infection increases the risk you will get HIV or give HIV to someone else. HIV is incurable and can be fatal. If you are a pregnant woman, syphilis increases the risk that the pregnancy will end in miscarriage, death of the baby at birth or in infancy, or permanent disabilities for your baby. Fortunately, syphilis can be diagnosed with a blood test and cured with antibiotics.  

You can have syphilis without knowing it. The symptoms are not always noticeable. If you think you may have been exposed to or infected with any sexually transmitted infection, see a doctor and get tested whether or not you have any symptoms. All pregnant women should be checked for syphilis, HIV, and other sexually transmitted infections.  

Syphilis is usually transmitted by vaginal, oral, or anal sexual contact. The second most common way syphilis is transmitted is from mother to child during the pregnancy, or during delivery. You can also get syphilis by kissing on or near a syphilis sore or by touching an infected area on the person.  

Soon after infection, a sore develops that is usually round, hard, raised, and painless. Usually the sore is on the genitals, hands, or mouth. Usually, there is just one, but sometimes there can be multiple sores. Without treatment, the sore will usually heal within three to six weeks.  

In many people with syphilis, lymph nodes near the sore will swell up, especially if the sore is near the genitals. Lymph nodes are small balls in your neck, underarms, groin, and knees that help fight infections. Even after the initial sore has healed, your lymph nodes may stay enlarged.  

Without treatment, the infection will usually develop into secondary syphilis between three and six weeks after the sore appears. At this stage, you may have flu-like symptoms, a sore throat, feel tired, lose your appetite, or have swollen lymph nodes. Most commonly, you will have a rash of red or pink spots on your body. The spots may become similar to a pimple or a mark. The spots will often appear on the sides of your body, your arms, or your genitals or on the palms of your hands or the soles of your feet. You may also get white or gray spots on your mouth or genitals.  

A few people will lose patches of hair from their scalp, beard or eyebrows. You may also develop problems with your kidneys, eyes, liver, bones, or joints; meningitis; or deafness.  

In the final stage of syphilis, you may develop spots on your body, most commonly on the skin, bone, or liver. The skin spots may turn into ulcers. You may also develop dementia, paralysis, and damage to the spinal cord and brain.  

At any stage of syphilis, you may also develop meningitis, headaches, nausea, vision and hearing problems, dizziness, memory and speech problems, irritability, and delusions.  

If you are a woman who is pregnant or who may become pregnant, it is vital that you be tested for syphilis. If you are pregnant, have syphilis, and don't get treated, more than two-thirds of the time, your pregnancy will have a poor outcome.  

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What is syphilis?

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection that can cause serious health problems if it is not treated. Syphilis is divided into stages (primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary). There are different signs and symptoms associated with each stage.

How is syphilis spread?

You can get syphilis by direct contact with a syphilis sore during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. You can find sores on or around the penis, vagina, or anus, or in the rectum, on the lips, or in the mouth. Syphilis can spread from an infected mother to her unborn baby.

What does syphilis look like?

Syphilis is divided into stages (primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary), with different signs and symptoms associated with each stage. A person with primary syphilis generally has a sore or sores at the original site of infection. These sores usually occur on or around the genitals, around the anus or in the rectum, or in or around the mouth. These sores are usually (but not always) firm, round, and painless. Symptoms of secondary syphilis include skin rash, swollen lymph nodes, and fever. The signs and symptoms of primary and secondary syphilis can be mild, and they might not be noticed. During the latent stage, there are no signs or symptoms. Tertiary syphilis is associated with severe medical problems.  A doctor can usually diagnose tertiary syphilis with the help of multiple tests. It can affect the heart, brain, and other organs of the body.

How can I reduce my risk of getting syphilis?

The only way to avoid STDs is to not have vaginal, anal, or oral sex.

If you are sexually active, you can do the following things to lower your chances of getting syphilis:

• Being in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested for syphilis and does not have syphilis;
• Using latex condoms the right way every time you have sex. Condoms prevent transmission of syphilis by preventing contact with a sore. Sometimes sores occur in areas not covered by a condom. Contact with these sores can still transmit syphilis.

Am I at risk for syphilis?

Any sexually active person can get syphilis through unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Have an honest and open talk with your health care provider and ask whether you should be tested for syphilis or other STDs.

• All pregnant women should be tested for syphilis at their first prenatal visit.
• You should get tested regularly for syphilis if you are sexually active and
  • are a man who has sex with men;
  • are living with HIV; or
  • have partner(s) who have tested positive for syphilis.

I’m pregnant. How does syphilis affect my baby?

If you are pregnant and have syphilis, you can give the infection to your unborn baby. Having syphilis can lead to a low birth weight baby. It can also make it more likely you will deliver your baby too early or stillborn (a baby born dead). To protect your baby, you should be tested for syphilis at least once during your pregnancy. Receive immediate treatment if you test positive.

An infected baby may be born without signs or symptoms of disease. However, if not treated immediately, the baby may develop serious problems within a few weeks. Untreated babies can have health problems such as cataracts, deafness, or seizures, and can die.

What are the signs and symptoms of syphilis?

Symptoms of syphilis in adults vary by stage:

Primary Stage

During the first (primary) stage of syphilis, you may notice a single sore or multiple sores. The sore is the location where syphilis entered your body. Sores are usually (but not always) firm, round, and painless. Because the sore is painless, it can easily go unnoticed. The sore usually lasts 3 to 6 weeks and heals regardless of whether or not you receive treatment. Even after the sore goes away, you must still receive treatment. This will stop your infection from moving to the secondary stage.

Secondary Stage

During the secondary stage, you may have skin rashes and/or mucous membrane lesions. Mucous membrane lesions are sores in your mouth, vagina, or anus. This stage usually starts with a rash on one or more areas of your body. The rash can show up when your primary sore is healing or several weeks after the sore has healed. The rash can look like rough, red, or reddish brown spots on the palms of your hands and/or the bottoms of your feet. The rash usually won’t itch and it is sometimes so faint that you won’t notice it. Other symptoms you may have can include fever, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, patchy hair loss, headaches, weight loss, muscle aches, and fatigue (feeling very tired). The symptoms from this stage will go away whether or not you receive treatment. Without the right treatment, your infection will move to the latent and possibly tertiary stages of syphilis.

Latent Stage

The latent stage of syphilis is a period of time when there are no visible signs or symptoms of syphilis. If you do not receive treatment, you can continue to have syphilis in your body for years without any signs or symptoms.

Tertiary Stage

Most people with untreated syphilis do not develop tertiary syphilis. However, when it does happen it can affect many different organ systems. These include the heart and blood vessels, and the brain and nervous system. Tertiary syphilis is very serious and would occur 10–30 years after your infection began.  In tertiary syphilis, the disease damages your internal organs and can result in death.

Neurosyphilis and Ocular Syphilis

Without treatment, syphilis can spread to the brain and nervous system (neurosyphilis) or to the eye (ocular syphilis). This can happen during any of the stages described above.

Symptoms of neurosyphilis include

• severe headache;
• difficulty coordinating muscle movements;
• paralysis (not able to move certain parts of your body);
• numbness; and
• dementia (mental disorder).

Symptoms of ocular syphilis include changes in your vision and even blindness.

How will I or my doctor know if I have syphilis?

Most of the time, a blood test is used to test for syphilis. Some health care providers will diagnose syphilis by testing fluid from a syphilis sore.

Can syphilis be cured?

Yes, syphilis can be cured with the right antibiotics from your health care provider. However, treatment might not undo any damage that the infection has already done.

I’ve been treated. Can I get syphilis again?

Having syphilis once does not protect you from getting it again. Even after you’ve been successfully treated, you can still be re-infected. Only laboratory tests can confirm whether you have syphilis. Follow-up testing by your health care provider is recommended to make sure that your treatment was successful.

It may not be obvious that a sex partner has syphilis. This is because syphilis sores can be hidden in the vagina, anus, under the foreskin of the penis, or in the mouth. Unless you know that your sex partner(s) has been tested and treated, you may be at risk of getting syphilis again from an infected sex partner.

Basic educational information with resources and videos are free to view, share, and download.

Suggested Condom Size

The condom size chart is broken down to introduces the condom brand and name along with a brief description about each condom.

Due to the fact that every penis is different, one single comprehensive condom size chart seems impossible. Yet when it comes to condoms, size (and shape) is everything- for effective protection and pleasure.

The Condom Calculator

Quick Tip: if your penis girth is below 4.7 inches (119mm) check out the snugger fit section. Regular condoms will best suit you if your girth is between 4.7″–5.1″ (119-130mm). Guys with girth bigger than 5.1″ (130mm) should use a larger condom. Check out the condom calculator to get more accurate suggestions for your size. You can also read more about how to choose your size.

Condom-Sizes.org

There are several reasons why a condom would break

• Too old. Modern condom wrappers have a date after which the condom should not be used.
• Improper storage. Heat damages latex condoms, so they should not be kept in a hot place, such as a car glove compartment or wallet.
• Not enough lubrication. Additional lubrication is always needed for rectal sex. It may also be needed for vaginal sex. The lubricant should be water-soluble, such as KY jelly.
• The wrong kind of lubricant. Lubricants that contain oil -- such as Vaseline, baby oils, and vegetable oils -- should not be used with latex condoms since they weaken the rubber.
• Too small. Try a larger size.
• Partner too tight. Use an extra strength condom and more lubricant.

A condom may come off during sex because:

• Condom too large. Try a snug condom.
• Loss of erection. Remove your penis, holding on to the rolled edge of the condom, as soon as you begin to lose your erection.

Never use an oil-based lube with latex condoms (this includes, baby oil, coconut oil, etc.) or you run the risk of condom breakage!

Water-based lubes are slippery and may need to be reapplied. They are easy to clean up with water. Look for high-quality (body safe) choices that state they are petrochemical-free, glycerin-free and paraben-free.

• rinses off easily from skin and fabric
• cheaper and easier to find than silicone-based lube

Silicone-based lubes are slick and can be used in water (hot tubs, showers, lakes, swimming pools). They are less likely to need multiple applications (in comparison to water-based lubes). They generally require soap and water for clean-up. Use them sparingly and avoid getting them on surfaces you don’t want to slip on later.

• lasts longer than water-based lube
• best for anal sex

Flavored lubes

• usually a water-based lube with flavor added, often contains sugar
• best for oral sex, especially when using a condom

Types of Condom

There are so many condoms out there, so many choices and so little time. There are condoms marketed and labeled as "ultrasensitive," and these are usually thinner and provide more warmth and direct contact. When you buy or choose condoms, look for the ones with the word "ultrasensitive." In addition, using water-based lubrication can increase the pleasure and decrease the risk of small tears or cuts that allow STDs and HIV entry into a partner.

There's a newish condom called Pleasure Plus that has a pouch near the head for larger and uncut penises. It also has ribs and lube on the pouch for extra sensation. On the Condomania web site can help you decide which to try.

Condomania also sell condom samplers so you can try a few and see which you like enough to buy more of.

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Allergic to Latex Condoms?

Although a slight percentage (approximately 3%) of people are allergic to latex condoms Stop using latex rubbers and invest instead in polyurethane, tactylon or lambskin condoms. Keep in mind, however, that lambskin does not prevent the transmission of STDs.

Condom Guide

Use this handy shopping guide as a reminder of what to look for when buying condoms and lubricants.

Always be sure to choose:
[X] Latex or polyurethane, including the female condom
[X] Disease prevention claim on package label

Also consider:
[ ] With lubricant
[ ] Separate lubricant (Select only water-based lubricants made for this purpose.)

Male Condom Use

Male Condom Use Fact Sheets

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Male Condom Use Fact Sheets Spanish

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Male Condom Use and Fact Sheets

The Right Way To Use A Male Condom

Condom Dos and Don’ts

• DO use a condom every time you have sex.
• DO put on a condom before having sex.
• DO read the package and check the expiration date.
• DO make sure there are no tears or defects.
• DO store condoms in a cool, dry place.
• DO use latex or polyurethane condoms.
• DO use water-based or silicone-based lubricant to prevent breakage.

• DON’T store condoms in your wallet as heat and friction can damage them.
• DON’T use nonoxynol-9 (a spermicide), as this can cause irritation.
• DON’T use oil-based products like baby oil, lotion, petroleum jelly, or cooking oil because they will cause the condom to break.
• DON’T use more than one condom at a time.
• DON’T reuse a condom.

How To Put On and Take Off a Male Condom

Carefully open and remove condom from wrapper.

Place condom on the head of the erect, hard penis. If uncircumcised, pull back the foreskin first.

Pinch air out of the tip of the condom.

Unroll condom all the way down the penis.

After sex but before pulling out, hold the condom at the base. Then pull out, while holding the condom in place.

The Female Condom:

The female condom, like the male condom, is a barrier contraceptive made of latex or polyurethane. The condom has a ring on each end. The ring that is placed inside the vagina fits over the cervix, while the other ring, which is open, rests outside of the vagina and covers the vulva. The female condom is sold over-the-counter.

The Female Health Company - The Female Health Company is the only developer and manufacturer of the female condom. Their website provides information regarding the product, strategic introduction of the female condom, resources and other information.

The FC2 female condom, the second generation female condom, is now available in the United States. The FC2 female condom is a strong, thin, nitrile sheath that is about 6.5 inches long (about the same length as a male condom) with a flexible "ring" at each end. It is inserted into the vagina prior to sexual intercourse and provides protection against both pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) including HIV. The inner ring aids insertion and helps keep the female condom in place during intercourse while the softer outer ring remains outside the vagina.

• Provides both men and women with an additional choice to prevent unintended pregnancies and protect themselves from STDs including HIV.
• Is the only female-initiated barrier method alternative to the male condom.
• Forms a barrier between the penis and the vagina, cervix and external genitalia, thereby providing additional protection.
• Is made from nitrile, a synthetic latex, and causes no allergic reactions and, unlike latex, may be used with both oil and water based lubricants.
• Can be inserted up to 8 hours before intercourse so it will not interrupt sexual spontaneity. It is not dependent on the male erection and does not require immediate withdrawal after ejaculation.
• Conducts/retains heat, so sexual intercourse can feel natural.
• Is not tight or constricting

The female condom is not difficult to use, but it may take practice to become comfortable using it. It is recommended that women practice inserting and removing the female condom, before using it for the first time during sexual intercourse. The female condom should not be used together with a male condom.

Female Condom Use

The Right Way To Use A Female Condom

Right Way To Use A Female Condom

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Right Way To Use A Female Condom Spanish

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Female Condom Dos and Don’ts

• DO use a female condom from start to finish, every time you have vaginal sex.*
• DO read the condom package insert and check the expiration date.
• DO make sure there are no tears or defects.
• DO use lubricant to help prevent the condom from slipping and tearing.
• DO store female condoms in a cool, dry place.

*Female condoms can also be used for anal sex.

• DON’T use a male condom with a female condom, as this can cause tearing.
• DON’T reuse a female condom.
• DON’T flush female condoms as they may clog the toilet.

How To Insert and Remove a Female Condom

Carefully open and remove female condom from package to prevent tearing.

The thick, inner ring with closed end is used for placing in the vagina and holds condom in place. The thin, outer ring remains outside of body, covering vaginal opening.

Find a comfortable position. While holding outside of condom at closed end, squeeze sides of inner ring together with your thumb and forefinger and insert into vagina. It is similar to inserting a tampon.

Using your finger, push inner ring as far up as it will go until it rests against cervix. The condom will expand naturally and you may not feel it.

Be sure condom is not twisted. The thin, outer ring should remain outside vagina.

Guide partner’s penis into opening of female condom. Stop intercourse if you feel penis slip between condom and walls of vagina or if outer ring is pushed into vagina.

To remove, gently twist outer ring and pull female condom out of vagina.

Throw away female condom in trash after using it one time. Do not reuse.

About Semen Leakage

• Semen leakage is caused by a weakening of the parasympathetic sexual nerve that keeps the ejaculation valve closed and maintains the erection. If not taken care of, it's possible that maintaining an erection can become a problem as well.
• To hold the erection up and tighten the ejaculation valve, you need a basic resting potential in the parasympathetic sexual motoring nerve and a continuous burst of testosterone to charge the nerves during sex. Testicular stimulation during intercourse can help the testosterone burst, and increase penile power and combat seminal leakage that often contributes to premature ejaculation (not to mention potential embarrassment in front of a partner).
• There are herbal supplements that can help you achieve the quality sex you want by providing an increase in testosterone as fuel. Good luck.

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What is pulling out (withdrawal)?

Pulling out (also known as withdrawal) is a way to prevent pregnancy by keeping semen away from the vagina. Withdrawal works best when you use another birth control method with it, like a condom.

What’s the withdrawal method (pulling out)?

Pulling out is exactly what it sounds like: pulling the penis out of the vagina before ejaculation (aka cumming). If semen (cum) gets in your vagina, you can get pregnant. So ejaculating away from a vulva or vagina prevents pregnancy. But you have to be sure to pull out before any semen comes out, every single time you have vaginal sex, in order for it to work.

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About Barebacking

Barebacking usually refers to a conscious and deliberate choice to forgo condoms.

On barebacking, my boyfriend (top) has had three negative tests over nine months and I have had one. Are we pretty well OK? If you mean negative HIV tests, then it is unlikely that either of you are HIV infected, but to be sure, both partners need to be monogamous and you should get another test. The risk of barebacking, however, goes beyond HIV. People can transmit herpes, gonorrhea, syphilis and chlamydia to each other, too -- so both partners should also be tested and treated, if infected, for these infections. There should be testing of the urine and rectum for gonorrhea and chlamydia. Both of these are treatable infections and can lay dormant in your body without symptoms. Ask your doctor for a full spectrum of STD tests for the different places you have sex -- throat, penis and/or rectum. If either of you are barebacking with each other and having other partners, it's important to have safe sex with the other partners so you don't bring anything home.

Heterosexual bareback

The term bareback sex is used less frequently among heterosexuals. A survey by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene found that heterosexual women are more likely to bareback when engaging in anal sex than homosexual and bisexual men are. Heterosexual bareback sex, as opposed to sex with condoms, poses an increased risk of STIs whether vaginally or anally, and an increased risk of pregnancy via penetration of the vagina.

Bareback (sex) Wikipedia Read More

DOCUMENTS THE PHENOMENON OF DELIBERATE HIV INFECTION

Documentary (English)
Louise Hogarth
Dream Out Loud Productions

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Gift Giver: HIV positive man who gives The Gift of HIV infection.
Bug CHaser: HIV negative man who deliberately becomes infected with HIV.
Barebacking: Deliberate high risk sex with disregard for HIV infection.

The Gift documents the phenomenon of deliberate HIV infection. The film follows the stories of two "bug chasers" who sought out "the gift" of HIV infection. Also interviewed are AIDS activist and author, Walt Odets, PhD, and HIV+ and HIV- men. The film explores the normalization and glamorization of HIV/AIDS and discusses the isolation and division caused by HIV status in the gay community.

Doug, a central character of the film is a bright, articulate young man who moved from the Midwest to San Francisco in search of a gay community. He became a bug chaser and actively sought The Gift of HIV infection.

Best Documentary Newfest Lesbian & Gay (New York City) Best Documentary - Santa Barbara Lesbian & Gay Film Best Documentary and Best Feature Film (2nd place) Audience Award Q! Film Festival, Jakarta International Film Festival (Indonesia) Louise Hogarth, one of twenty Iconoclasts, picked by Seed Magazine - A Portfolio of the Icons & Iconoclasts who Redefined Science in 2003.

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