Syphilis symptoms are often confused with other illnesses. In its early, or “primary,” stage syphilis might look like a herpes sore or sores, except it doesn't hurt. Where the sore appears depends on where a person was infected (for example, if a man with a syphilis sore on his penis has vaginal sex with a woman, she may get a sore in her vagina). Depending on the location, the sore(s) may be obvious. However, since it is painless, if it's more hidden or inside the mouth, vagina, or rectum it can easily go unnoticed. After a few weeks, the sore(s) goes away and is replaced by new symptoms. These “secondary” syphilis symptoms may appear immediately or several months after infection. The most common symptom is a strange rash on the bottom of the feet, palms of the hands, or sometimes on the chest and/or back. Often at this stage an infected person may feel generally sick. Left untreated, symptoms will disappear in anywhere from two weeks to two months. However, the person is still infected, and if they never get treated, many years later they may suffer major health effects, such as neurological damage, blindness, cancer-like growths, and perhaps even death.

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