Pubic Lice

Public lice are tiny insects that attach themselves to the skin and hair in the pubic area, but may occasionally be found on other coarse body hair, such as hair on the legs, armpit, mustache, beard, eyebrows, and eyelashes. They are light brown and the size of a pinhead. Pubic lice are commonly called “crabs.” They are called crabs because they have "claws", which they use to hang onto hair and because under microscopes they look like a miniature version of a crab. Once they are on a person’s body, the insects live by sucking the person’s blood. Crabs are an infectious illness.

Anyone can get pubic lice, both men and women. It is estimated that there are over 1 million people that are transmitted to it each year. However, people with more sex partners have a greater risk of getting pubic lice. Pubic lice are usually spread through sexual contact. People can also get them if they use other an infected person’s unwashed bed linen, clothes, or towels. Another uncommonly way to get pubic lice is by sitting on an infested toilet seat. So many people have to be careful when using bathrooms in malls or restaurants. All bedding, towels, and clothing that may have been exposed should be thoroughly washed or dry cleaned, and homes should be vacuumed.

People have a much lower chance of getting pubic lice if you have only one sex partner. Many people think that condoms will prevent from pubic lice because they prevent from most of the other sexually transmitted diseases, but they are thinking wrong. Condoms do not stop pubic lice, so people have to make sure that their sex partner does not have them. They are not good protection against pubic lice because condoms don’t cover the area with pubic hair.

The best way to prevent getting crabs is to be abstinence, not having sex. It doesn’t matter whether you have anal, oral, or vaginal sex you can still have a chance to be transmitted to pubic lice because any kind of sex includes direct person-to-person contact. To be save than sorry, do not have sex

If someone is diagnosed with crabs, it is important to tell everyone you have had sex with recently, so they can be examined and treated, too. A serious skin infection can happen if pubic lice in untreated. Household members, even children, should also be examined, even if they have no symptoms.

Resources:

http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/std/stdc3.shtml

http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/std/pubic_lice.html