Syphilis
In 2004, around 1,600 gay men were treated for syphilis in UK clinics. But many men remain untreated because they don’t know they have it.
What does it look like?
The disease follows three stages, each with its own symptoms. But symptoms of syphilis don’t always show. Many men diagnosed with syphilis never realised they had it until they got tested.
First stage (Primary syphilis)
- Two to four weeks after getting infected a painless red sore (known as a chancre – pronounced ‘shanker’) can appear either on your cock or in your mouth, throat or arse. It will heal and go away
- The glands nearest to the sore (in the neck or groin) may swell up.
Second stage (Secondary syphilis)
- Weeks or a few months later a body rash can appear, often on your palms of your hands or soles of your feet. You might also get a fever or headaches or feel ill
- You may get warty growths around your arse, or ulcers or grey patches of skin in your mouth or on your cock.
Third stage (Tertiary syphilis)
- Years later, syphilis can cause serious damage to your heart, brain and nervous system. Syphilis is usually spotted before this third stage and is very rare.
How is it passed on?
You can get syphilis by coming into contact with the sores of the first stage or skin rash of the second stage.
Unless treated syphilis can be passed on for up to two years through unprotected:
- fucking or being fucked
- sucking or being sucked
- fingering
- fisting.
How is syphilis prevented?
Using a condom for fucking and sucking prevents contact with the infectious sores or skin rashes/patches on someone’s cock or in their arse or mouth. But this doesn’t guarantee protection as syphilis bacteria will be in any sore or rash not covered by the condom.
Touching the rash or sores should be avoided. Latex gloves for fisting will stop contact with sores in someone’s arse.
How is syphilis treated?
Clinics usually check everyone’s blood for syphilis. And if there’s a sore, fluid in it is tested.
Antibiotics are given as a single injection or up to two weeks of injections or tablets. Once treated, a blood test checks that the syphilis has been cured.
No-one is immune to syphilis. If you have had it before, you can get it again.
