What
are pubic lice and scabies?
Pubic lice (often called "crabs") and scabies (itch mites)
are tiny insects that live on the skin. They are sometimes spread
sexually, but you can also pick them up by using the same bed linen,
clothes, or towels as an infected person. Pubic lice infect hairy
parts of the body, especially around the groin and under the arms.
Scabies cause an itchy rash, and are the result of a female mite
burrowing into a person's skin to lay her eggs.
Are
they common?
Every year, millions of people experience infections from pubic
lice or scabies.
How
are they transmitted?
Pubic lice and scabies are transmitted through contact with an infected
area on another person or through contact with infested materials
such as sheets, towels, undergarments, or hairbrushes. Lice may
live away from the body on these materials up to 2 days and eggs
live up to 6 days.
What
are their symptoms?
Although some people infected with pubic lice have no symptoms,
you may experience considerable itching around the genitals. You
may see light-brown insects the size of a pinhead moving on the
skin or oval eggs attached to your body hair. The main symptom of
scabies is itching, especially at night. You may also see burrows
under the skin or a rash may appear in the folds of skin between
the fingers or on the wrists, elbows, abdomen, or genitals.
How
soon after exposure to them will symptoms appear?
After you are exposed to pubic lice or scabies, it may be 2 to 6
weeks before symptoms are evident.
How
are they diagnosed?
If you think you may have pubic lice or scabies, see your medical
provider. They will visually examine your pubic hair for signs of
adult lice, lice eggs (nits), or mites. If you have a scabies infection,
your medical provider may also take a skin scraping, looking for
mite eggs and/or fecal matter, to confirm the diagnosis. Your medical
provider can then determine whether or not you need to seek treatment.
How
are they treated?
The treatment is fairly simple. A medical provider will prescribe
a medicated lotion, cream or shampoo that will be applied to the
infected area. The most effective treatments include shampoos and
creams that contain Lindane and you can pick up this prescription
from the pharmacy in Health Services. Follow the directions carefully.
The infestation may be stubborn, and you may need to repeat the
treatment. Wash your clothes and bed linens in hot water, dry-clean
them or press them with a very hot iron. Vacuum your mattress and
bed. Avoid close contact with others and be sure to tell your sex
partner(s). Anyone that you've had close contact with or who has
shared your bed linens, clothes, or towels should be treated, even
if they don't have an itch or rash.
Can
infections of pubic lice or scabies be dangerous?
Fortunately, itchy and annoying is about all these lice and mites
are. They are not carriers of other STIs or infections. Once you
and anyone that you have close contact with have been successfully
treated, you should be free of these parasites.
Links
you can use
For more information about pubic lice or scabies, you can visit:
