Hi

Syphilis chancre sores can look different from person to person.

I have personally seen chancre sores that look like the classic ones you would see pictures of in an STI text book. I have also seen one’s that look more like small herpes sores or irritation from masturbation.

I don’t know your background e.g. past medical/sexual history etc… To give any specific recommendations but I can give you some general suggestions.

It is common to get scrapes on the penis. This can happen from physical damage when having sex or masturbating. The herpes simplex virus is also very common and can cause sores on the penis.

Syphilis is not very common but currently we are having high numbers of syphilis all across North America. What we are finding is the majority of these syphilis cases are in men who have sex with other men (MSM). We are also seeing that most people who get syphilis have no symptoms (only detected with a blood test) and that it can be passed with oral sex.

Given this I would recommend getting a STI check up that looks for syphilis if you are concerned. We do have tests available that can test the actual sore for syphilis. These tests are recommended during the primary stage of syphilis (when you just have a chancre sore) as it can take a bit of time for a syphilis blood test to show a positive result.  

You could see your family doctor or go to an STI clinic. They would be able to do a physical exam and testing to see if it is anything to be concerned about. Have a look at our clinic finder for a STI clinic in your area.

Have a look at our Syphilis web page for more information on syphilis.

Please leave a comment to let us know if this answers your question or if you need more information.

Health Nurse

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