• Bacterial infection spread by having sex
• You can have syphilis without knowing and can pass it on to your partners
• Syphilis has three stages:
  

Stage one

• Starts with a painless sore at the site where the syphilis germ first enters the body
• This usually appears from 1 week to 3 months after sex with an infected partner
• These sores may appear around the vagina, penis, mouth or bum
• These sores may disappear on their own, even if not treated. The infection will still spread, if you have not been treated
• A person with untreated syphyilis is most infectious in the first year.
  

Stage two

• A few months later, you may have 'flu like' symptoms such as fever, nausea, headache and tiredness
• A rash may appear on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet. Sometime a rash may appear all over the whole body
• If these symptoms go away, the infection will still spread, if you have not been treated
  

Stage three

• If syphilis remains untreated, it causes serious health problems such as heart disease and brain damage. Rarely, it can cause death.

Testing and treatment

• You must see a clinic nurse and doctor. For Clinic Hours Click Here
• Testing and treatment is free and confidential at the health unit
• Syphilis must be treated. It won't go away by itself
• Contact Tracing will need to take place. If you have syphilis your sexual partners must be notified and come into clinic for testing and treatment. You may choose to tell them your self or have a clinic nurse tell them. If the clinic nurse tells them, your name is not mentioned