How you get pubic licePediculosis pubis (also known as "crabs" and "pubic lice") is an infestation by the pubic louse, Pthirus pubis, a wingless insect which feeds on blood and lays its eggs (nits) on mainly pubic hair.https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Pediculosis_pubis
The lice crawl from hair to hair but can't fly or jump. They need human blood to survive, so generally only leave the body to move from one person to another. Pubic lice don't live on other animals such as cats or dogs. It's also possible for pubic lice to be spread through sharing clothes, towels and bedding.
Although pubic lice and nits can be large enough to be seen with the naked eye, a magnifying lens may be necessary to find lice or eggs.
Pubic lice move by crawling, because they cannot hop or fly. They usually spread through sexual contact. Occasionally, they may spread through physical contact with a person who has pubic lice, or through contact with clothing, beds, bed linens, or towels that were used by a person with pubic lice.
If you have pubic lice (crabs), you may experience intense itching in your genital region. Pubic lice can spread to other areas with coarse body hair, including the: Legs.
The tiny crab-like bugs are usually tan or whitish-gray, but they can appear darker when they're full of blood. Their eggs, known as nits, are very tiny white or yellowish ovals that clump together at the base of your pubic hair. Nits can be hard to see without magnification.
Pubic lice, also known as crabs, are small parasites that feed on human blood. They're usually found on the pubic hair, but can also be found on other parts of the body where a person has coarse hair (such as armpits, eyelashes, and facial hair). Anyone can get crabs and they are very common.
Around 1 to 2 of every 100 Australians are estimated to have public lice.
All hairy areas of the body should be thoroughly checked and treated because lice can move away from treated areas to other hairy parts of the body. Shaving won't get rid of pubic lice.
Usually, the symptoms of pubic lice start about 5 days after you get them. Some people never have symptoms, or they think the symptoms are caused by something else (like a rash). The most common symptom of pubic lice is intense itching in your pubic area.
Pubic lice will not go away without treatment. If you're sure you have pubic lice, you may be able to get treatment from a pharmacist.
Common myths about crabs
It should be explained that pubic lice infection does not go away on its own and needs therapy. It may be passed on to others if not treated adequately.
Pubic lice and their eggs attach very strongly to hair; they won't wash or brush off, nor do they fall off. They cannot survive for long without a human 'host' to feed from. This means that you are very unlikely to catch pubic lice from clothing, bed linen, shared towels or toilet seats.
Pediculosis can be treated successfully. 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.
Are pubic lice an STD? Pubic lice often get lumped in with sexually transmitted infections (STIs). That's because people get pubic lice most often during sex. But pubic lice are not an actual disease or infection.
This attractive little bugger is Pthirus pubis, otherwise known as crab lice or pubic lice. About 0.05 to 0.08 inches long, crab lice like to live around the course hair in the pubic area (although, fun fact, people can also get them on their eyelashes).
A lice-killing lotion containing 1% permethrin or a mousse containing pyrethrins and piperonyl butoxide can be used to treat pubic (“crab”) lice. These products are available over-the-counter without a prescription at a local drug store or pharmacy.
Adult lice are gray-brown and about 1.1–1.8 millimeters long. A person may be able to see them with the naked eye. The eggs and immature lice are smaller, however, and they may not be visible without a magnifying glass.
Because pubic lice usually spread during sex, not having sex is the best way to avoid them. Condoms do not protect someone from pubic lice because the lice live outside of the area that condoms cover. Shaving pubic hair does not always prevent pubic lice.
Pubic lice (Pthirus pubis) have three stages: egg, nymph and adult. Eggs (nits) are laid on a hair shaft . Females will lay approximately 30 eggs during their 3–4 week life span.
Pubic lice are short and crab-like and appear very different from head and body lice. Pubic lice infestation is diagnosed by finding a “crab” louse or eggs on hair in the pubic region or, less commonly, elsewhere on the body (eyebrows, eyelashes, beard, mustache, armpit, perianal area, groin, trunk, scalp).
Adult pubic lice are 1.1–1.8 mm in length. Pubic lice typically are found attached to hair in the pubic area but sometimes are found on coarse hair elsewhere on the body (for example, eyebrows, eyelashes, beard, mustache, chest, armpits, etc.).
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.
Sexual transmission - You can get crabs when you have skin-to-skin contact with another person. 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.