Do I have chancroid?

Chancroid sores are open ulcers — soft, with ragged, undermined edges and a grey or yellow base that may bleed if scraped.

This is a key clue: chancroid sores hurt, while the primary sore of syphilis is usually painless.

Chancroid ulcers are typically soft with ragged, undermined edges and a grey-yellow base; a hard, firm sore is more typical of syphilis.

About half of people with chancroid get tender, swollen glands on one side of the groin, which can enlarge into a pus-filled lump (a bubo).

Chancroid is rare in the U.S. but more common in parts of Africa, the Caribbean and Asia.

Chancroid ulcers usually show up about 4–10 days after exposure.

Chancroid is diagnosed partly by ruling these out, since they can look similar.