When thinking about the side effects of syphilis in women, you most probably know that this is a sexually transmitted disease, which affects about a thousand women per year in the US. The infection can be treated with penicillin at any stage but as the infection advances, the symptoms will become more severe.
Primary stage and the women’s syphilis side effects
At the beginning, the infected women only have a small sore which is known as chancre. This usually forms where the infection occurred, usually on the vulva, cervix, vagina, lips or tongue. In the moment when the chancre appears it is painless and it is just a hard and round sore.
You should also know about this one of the negative effects of syphilis in women is that the chancre will go away in 3-6 weeks after its appearance regardless whether you get treatment or not. The chancre isn’t an immediate response to the infection; it develops 10-90 days after the infection took place.
Secondary stage
This stage comes with the most side effects of syphilis in women. Usually the first symptom is a rash on the palms and on the soles of your feet. The rash doesn’t itch; instead, it is rough to the touch and it could have brownish red or red spots.
The rashes can appear in other places as well, such as around the cervix, throat or mouth. Some other symptoms include fever, tiredness, swollen glands, headaches, hair loss and pain in the muscles. During this stage, you can pass on the infection to your sexual partners.
Latent stage
This is the stage when the side effects of syphilis in women seem to disappear. At this point, the infected person doesn’t have any symptoms and the infection can’t be spread to other people. Nonetheless you should know that you can return to the secondary stage at any time.
Late stage
The syphilis side effects of women specific for this stage appear only in case you didn’t receive any treatment. The syphilis symptoms are severe, including nerve problems, blindness, dementia, paralysis and even death. This stage can start a few years to 20 years after the initial infection.
It isn’t exactly pleasant to see the side effects of syphilis in women, but you have to know that this is a treatable problem so you just have to recognize it in time.
