Syphilis: Syphilis is a bacterial sexually transmitted infection that is typically transmitted through the open sores of an infected partner. Syphilis can result in death if left untreated, but this is uncommon today, given modern medical practices. If syphilis is left untreated it will progress through a series of stages: primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary.

 
Primary Syphilis: The main characteristic of primary syphilis is the appearance of a painless sore called a chancre. Since chancres are painless, syphilis can often progress undetected; or an infected individual may ignore the chancre not knowing what it is. Most chancres will appear in the genital region, but it is possible for sores to appear in the mouth and anal regions due to sexual contacts there. At this stage it is possible to infect partners. Eventually the chancre heals as the infection progresses to the next phase.
 
Secondary Syphilis: During the secondary phase of syphilis, a rash appears (usually on the palms of hands and soles of feet). This rash may be unattractive, but often times it does not hurt or itch. Secondary syphilis may be accompanied by flu-like symptoms (fatigue, fever, headache, weight loss, body aches, etc). Even if these symptoms subside, it is still possible for syphilis to progress to the next stage.
Latent Syphilis: Next, during the latent stage of syphilis, an infected individual may not show any outward symptoms at all while the bacteria multiplies and the infection builds up toward the final stage.
 
Tertiary Syphilis: An individual can remain in the latent stage of syphilis anywhere from three to forty years before the disease progresses into the tertiary stage. Even at this late stage, treatment can still be beneficial. Tertiary syphilis can cause severe conditions such as heart failure, paralysis, blindness, liver damage, mental disturbance, and death (Moran, 1997b).
 
More on Syphilis: At any stage, an infected pregnant woman can pass syphilis to her fetus. It is important for pregnant women to get tested for syphilis within their first trimester so treatment can prevent the infection of the fetus. Also, sexual partners exposed to syphilis should get tested at 3, 6, and 12 months after the initial exposure. The sooner the infection is treated, the better the outcome.