Symptoms for the first stage normally appear 10 days to 3 months after you’re exposed to syphilis. You might notice that the lymph nodes near your groin are enlarged.
Typically, the first visible sign of syphilis is a small, painless sore (doctors call it a “chancre”) on the skin. It normally appears at the spot where the bacteria entered your body. The sore won’t hurt, and it may be hidden inside your rectum or vagina. You might not even know you have it.
The sore will heal on its own in about 3 to 6 weeks, but this doesn’t mean the infection is gone. It means you’re about to enter the second stage of syphilis.