On men, it usually hides in the folds of the foreskin, under the scrotum, or near the base of the penis. Men more often than women will also have swollen lymph nodes in the groin. At this stage, the chancre is very infectious. It will heal with or without treatment, but the bacteria will remain and begin to spread if untreated. It can last for weeks or months, perhaps up to a year.
Some people experience hair loss.
Others discover a raised area around the genitals or anus. During this stage, the bacteria can be spread through mucous patches on the raised areas, called condylomalata. However, the bacteria are active inside your body, multiplying and attacking internal organs. When second stage symptoms completely disappear, the disease is no longer infectious. Serious effects of the spirochetes' activity of the latent stage begin to appear.