Most men who get infected with syphilis do not show any symptoms. Even without symptoms, the bacterial infection will thrive in the body and can stay for years, which creates risks for other health complications. Nonetheless, the usual symptom for men during the primary stage of syphilis is a sore on the reproductive organ, which is painless, hard, round, open, and moisty or wet. The sore can stay for ten days to weeks or even months.
When you leave your syphilis untreated, it can get into your blood and move onto the next stage. At the secondary stage, men will see reddish-brown rashes and can appear any part in the body.
The rashes will show up to ten weeks after the sore appears. Other symptoms may include body aches, fatigue, fever, swollen lymph nodes, sore throat, and sores in the mouth. If left untreated, it will develop to the tertiary stage. It’s the critical stage, as syphilis can cause damage to the internal organs and can lead to death too.