Herpes vs Syphilis

You might be noticing a sudden appearance of blemishes on the genitals, near the mouth, or around the anus and are wondering if it could be Herpes vs. Syphilis. They can be warts, sores, blisters, or ulcers that may or may not be painful to the touch. STDs like Herpes and syphilis cause these symptoms on the skin, and it might be hard to know which one you have unless you get tested for both diseases.

But since you are here, let’s look at some of the causes, symptoms, and treatment of Herpes vs. Syphilis so that you can get a slight idea of these STDs.

Herpes: Caused by two strains of the herpes simplex virus- HSV-2 and HSV-1, this disease may or may not cause an outbreak and show symptoms. But when it does, the infected person gets sores and blisters on the genitals or the mouth. Herpes spread through unprotected sex (vaginal, anal, and oral) and skin contact when one person has active herpes symptoms. A person can pass on the virus to their partner during unprotected sex even if they do not have visible symptoms. Therefore, the only way to prevent Herpes is by making sure you perform safe sex every time.

Along with sores on the skin, you can get other herpes symptoms like painful urination, pain in the affected area, swollen glands, fatigue, body ache, and discharges. Once you get Herpes, there is no turning back. However, you can still enjoy sexual activities and protect your partners by always wearing protection. Antiviral medications help with symptom management and reduce the frequency of outbreaks of Herpes.

Syphilis: You can get syphilis through unprotected sex with an infected person. Direct skin contact with someone who has outbreaks on their skin can also give you the infection. Syphilis has four stages- primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary, where each of them has progressing symptoms. During the first phase of syphilis, people get symptoms similar to that of a herpes outbreak. Sores appear on the genitals or the other parts of the body, and people think they are Herpes vs. Syphilis. The difference is that herpes sores are usually very painful while syphilis sores are not. 

Other syphilis symptoms are headaches, body ache, hair loss, fever, swollen lymph nodes, and weight loss. The symptoms might come and go away on their own. But without treatment, they are likely to reappear. 

You can confirm whether you have Herpes vs. Syphilis through STD tests. It is also ideal for getting an STD test when you have symptoms that look like outbreaks of STDs, regardless of whether it is Herpes vs. Syphilis.