A51.0: Primary genital syphilis

You have syphilis. As a result, you have a sore.

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease. There are diseases that are particularly transmitted during sex. These diseases are also called sexually transmitted diseases. They are usually caused by specific pathogens. The pathogens can for instance be transmitted via vaginal fluid or semen. The pathogens may also be transmitted from a sick mother to her new-born child when she gives birth. Syphilis is caused by specific bacteria.

If you get infected with syphilis, you may develop a sore several weeks later. The sore occurs at the site where the bacteria got into the body. As a result of the disease, you have a sore on your genitals.

A sore damages the tissue. Nevertheless, syphilis does not usually make a sore painful. The skin around the sore feels hard. The lymph nodes near the sore often swell up too, for example in the groin. The lymph nodes are small bean-shaped objects. They are found throughout the body. Lymph nodes filter the tissue fluid. They are part of the defense system.