Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsWhat It Looks LikeDiagnosisTreatmentDuring PregnancyFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
What It Looks Like
Diagnosis
Treatment
During Pregnancy
Frequently Asked Questions
Syphilis can cause round sores and soft, flat growths to appear on the vulva and vagina, among other symptoms. If left untreated, it can cause damage to the heart, kidneys, and other major organs.
This article will discuss everything you need to know about syphilis in cisgender women and all people with vaginas, including symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and how syphilis affects pregnancy.
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Syphilis Symptoms in Women
Thesigns and symptoms of syphiliswill vary based on what stage the infection is in.There are four stages: primary syphilis, secondary syphilis, latent syphilis, and tertiary syphilis.
During primary syphilis, the most common sign of infection is a skin sore known as achancre. These sores are usually firm, round, and painless and appear on the location where the infection entered the body.In women, this includes thecervixorvagina, though the anus, rectum, and mouth are also possible sites.
If left untreated, these sores will heal on their own within three to six weeks, and the disease will progress to secondary syphilis.
Secondary syphilis symptoms also resolve on their own without treatment, which means the infection will progress to the latent stage and potentially the tertiary stage. Latent syphilis has no signs or symptoms of infection and can last for years.
If syphilis reaches the tertiary stage of infection, which can happen 10–30 years after your initial infection, it can cause serious damage to multiple organ systems, including the heart and brain.
What Does Syphilis Look Like?
What syphilis looks like will depend on the stage of infection. During the primary stage, syphilis commonly presents as small, painless, round sores on the genitals, mouth, anus, or rectum.
The secondary stage presents as a non-itchy rash, sometimes appearing as rough, red, or red-brown spots on the palms or bottoms of feet. It can also have a different appearance and occur on different parts of the body. Condyloma lata, which are large, flat-topped raised lesions, may also develop in warm and moist body parts like the vulva.
“The Great Imitator"Syphilis shares common features with other medical conditions, includingcanker sores,herpes, andLyme disease, thus earning it the nickname “the great imitator.” For this reason, many cases of syphilis are missed until the infection advances and the symptoms have worsened.
“The Great Imitator”
Syphilis shares common features with other medical conditions, includingcanker sores,herpes, andLyme disease, thus earning it the nickname “the great imitator.” For this reason, many cases of syphilis are missed until the infection advances and the symptoms have worsened.
Diagnosing Syphilis in Women
The way treatment is administered will depend on which stage the syphilis infection is in. However, syphilis is most often treated withantibiotics; the dose will vary based on the stage of infection.
Syphilis During Pregnancy
Summary
As the disease progresses it can also cause flat-topped growths known as condyloma lata to show up on the vulva. Syphilis is diagnosed through a blood test and treated with antibiotics.
A Word From Verywell
If you think you have been exposed to syphilis, don’t put off getting tested. Syphilis is completely curable with antibiotics if it’s caught early enough.But if left untreated, it can eventually cause serious health complications, including brain damage and even death.
Frequently Asked QuestionsYes, syphilis can cause vaginal sores. These are known as chancres. They are usually small and painless. Sometimes, these sores go unnoticed.The first sign of syphilis is a chancre, a small and painless sore. A chancre often appears on the vagina, penis, or around the anus.Syphilis can be mistaken for canker sores, Lyme disease, and herpes.
Yes, syphilis can cause vaginal sores. These are known as chancres. They are usually small and painless. Sometimes, these sores go unnoticed.
The first sign of syphilis is a chancre, a small and painless sore. A chancre often appears on the vagina, penis, or around the anus.
Syphilis can be mistaken for canker sores, Lyme disease, and herpes.
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About syphilis.Pourang A, Fung MA, Tartar D, Brassard A.Condyloma lata in secondary syphilis.JAAD Case Rep. 2021;10:18-21. Published 2021 Feb 9. doi:10.1016/j.jdcr.2021.01.025Klausner JD.The great imitator revealed: syphilis.Top Antivir Med.2019;27(2):71–74.Luo Y, Xie Y, Xiao Y.Laboratory diagnostic tools for syphilis: current status and future prospects.Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2020;10:574806. doi:10.3389/fcimb.2020.574806Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Syphilis - STI treatment guidelines 2021.
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About syphilis.Pourang A, Fung MA, Tartar D, Brassard A.Condyloma lata in secondary syphilis.JAAD Case Rep. 2021;10:18-21. Published 2021 Feb 9. doi:10.1016/j.jdcr.2021.01.025Klausner JD.The great imitator revealed: syphilis.Top Antivir Med.2019;27(2):71–74.Luo Y, Xie Y, Xiao Y.Laboratory diagnostic tools for syphilis: current status and future prospects.Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2020;10:574806. doi:10.3389/fcimb.2020.574806Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Syphilis - STI treatment guidelines 2021.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About syphilis.Pourang A, Fung MA, Tartar D, Brassard A.Condyloma lata in secondary syphilis.JAAD Case Rep. 2021;10:18-21. Published 2021 Feb 9. doi:10.1016/j.jdcr.2021.01.025Klausner JD.The great imitator revealed: syphilis.Top Antivir Med.2019;27(2):71–74.Luo Y, Xie Y, Xiao Y.Laboratory diagnostic tools for syphilis: current status and future prospects.Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2020;10:574806. doi:10.3389/fcimb.2020.574806Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Syphilis - STI treatment guidelines 2021.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About syphilis.
Pourang A, Fung MA, Tartar D, Brassard A.Condyloma lata in secondary syphilis.JAAD Case Rep. 2021;10:18-21. Published 2021 Feb 9. doi:10.1016/j.jdcr.2021.01.025
Klausner JD.The great imitator revealed: syphilis.Top Antivir Med.2019;27(2):71–74.
Luo Y, Xie Y, Xiao Y.Laboratory diagnostic tools for syphilis: current status and future prospects.Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2020;10:574806. doi:10.3389/fcimb.2020.574806
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Syphilis - STI treatment guidelines 2021.
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