Also called
Pubic lice are super common.
Millions of people get infected with pubic lice every year. They are tiny insects that look like tiny versions of the crabs you see at the beach. They live on the skin and coarse hairs that are around your genitals, and they feed on your blood.
Pubic lice are usually transmitted through direct skin-to-skin contact during sexual activity. However, they can also be spread by contact with towels, undergarments and bedding of an infected person. Lice infestation causes no serious harm, but can be irritating.
The main treatments for pubic lice are medicated creams or shampoos that kill the lice. You usually need to use the treatment on your whole body and leave it on for a few hours before washing it off. You'll need to repeat this again a week later to make sure all the lice have been killed.
Even when there is no sexual penetration, you can get (or give) crabs. Non-sexual transmission - You can get crabs from sleeping in an infested bed or using infested towels. Pubic lice found on children may be a sign of sexual exposure or abuse. Animals do not get or spread lice.
Pubic lice, also known as crabs, are tiny insects (about 2mm long) that live on coarse human body hair, such as pubic hair. Pubic lice are not linked to poor personal hygiene.
A lice-killing lotion containing 1% permethrin or a mousse containing pyrethrins and piperonyl butoxide can be used to treat pubic (“crab”) lice.
You cannot get rid of pubic lice by washing or shaving, as the lice only need a minimal length of hair on which to lay their eggs. Therefore you do not need to shave your pubic hair. You can treat yourself at home with an insecticidal lotion or cream which is available over the counter from a pharmacy.
Life Cycle:
Pubic lice (Pthirus pubis) have three stages: egg, nymph and adult.
Crabs can live for up to 24 hours on bedding, towels, and clothes. They feed on the blood of the infected person (by taking small bites that can cause itching).
Your doctor can prescribe a lotion for you to use to kill the lice and nits. If left untreated, you can develop infections from scratching. It can also cause your skin to change color and become scaly and scarred.
Pubic (“crab”) lice infestation is found worldwide and occurs in all races and ethnic groups and in all levels of society. Pubic lice usually are spread through sexual contact and are most common in adults.
Pubic lice affect men and women at all levels of society all over the world. Teens and people in their 20s are most often affected. But children and older adults can also get pubic lice. Some studies are showing pubic lice cases are decreasing because of genital hair removal techniques like waxing.
A common misunderstanding is that infestation can be spread by sitting on a toilet seat. This isn't likely, since lice cannot survive away from a warm human body. Also, lice do not have feet designed to walk or hold onto smooth surfaces such as toilet seats.
It may take 4-6 weeks for itching to appear the first time a person has head lice. How are head lice spread?
Itchy pubic hair is common and is often easily treatable. Common causes include rash burn, contact dermatitis, jock itch, pubic lice, scabies, yeast infection, psoriasis, eczema, and folliculitis. See a healthcare provider if the itching is severe, painful, persistent, or worsening. American Academy of Dermatology.
Lots of itching in your genital area. Super small bugs in your pubic hair. You can usually see pubic lice by looking closely, or you may need to use a magnifying glass. Pubic lice are tan or whitish-gray, and they look like tiny crabs.
However, can shaving or waxing one's pubic hair treat an existing pubic-lice infestation? It might seem plausible, but the CDC, Planned Parenthood, and other health authorities don't recommend it.
Crabs are easily spread during sex, even if you use condoms. The only 100% sure way to prevent pubic lice is to not have intimate contact.
Adult pubic lice are 1.1–1.8 mm in length.
Lice eggs (nits) are often easier to see than live lice. They look like tiny yellow or white dots attached to the pubic hair, close to the skin. Nits can look like dandruff. But you can't pick them off with your fingernail or brush them away.
You may also get pubic lice from infested sheets, blankets, towels or clothes.
The incidence of pubic lice infestations is estimated to be between 1.3% and 4.6%, with an average incidence of 2% worldwide. It is also estimated that 70% to 80% of adults now remove pubic hair in part or entirety, using a variety of methods.
Pubic lice (Pthirus pubis) maintain a worldwide parasitic population infesting two to over 10 percent of human populations, continuing a presence that has been constant since early evidence 10,000 years ago.