You may notice a painless sore on your penis or near your anus (bum). The sore will go away by itself. Many people do not notice the sore because it is painless. You probably wouldn’t notice one in your throat, but you could get it there, too, from unprotected oral sex.

This first sign of syphilis will show up about three weeks after you have sex with someone who has it. Four to 10 weeks later, you may notice a rash on your body, palms and soles of your feet. The rash will also go away on its own. The late stage of syphilis usually happens 10 to 20 years later. It can occur much earlier if you also have HIV. Late stage syphilis can cause serious heart, brain and bone disease.

Your doctor can order a blood test for syphilis; or you can go to a sexual health clinic such as the Hassle Free clinic.

As usual, the best protection for you and your partner(s) is using a latex condom every time you have oral, anal or vaginal sex. Consider getting tested for syphilis if you think you may be at risk.
If someone you had sex with within the last three months tells you they have syphilis, get tested. Even if the test is negative, you should be treated with antibiotics. The test results will help the doctor make any other decisions about your treatment.