Siphilis is caused by the bacterium Treponema Pallidum. This bacterium is usually transmitted through vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Siphilis is passed from person to person through direct contact with the open sore (chancre) that appears in the primary stage, the Mucous Membrane or other sores during the second stage and sometime during the latent stage. These stages will be discussed more thoroughly in the symptoms page. Very seldom can a person contract Siphilis through an open wound or very rarely through a blood transfusion. Siphilis can also be passed from a pregnant woman to her unborn child.

Whatever you may have been told Siphilis can NOT be passed by contact with toilet seats, swimming pools, bathtubs, shared clothing, or eating utensils.