The Venereal disease pubic lice, otherwise known as the “crabs” is a parasitic insect which spends its entire life on human hair and feeds exclusively on blood. It is a sexually transmitted disease (STD), also known as a sexually transmitted infection (STI).
Humans are the only known host of this parasite. Humans can also be infested with body lice (Pediculus humanus humanus) and with head lice (Pediculus humanus capitis). Public lice infestation is usually diagnosed by carefully examining pubic hair for nits, nymphs and insect-like creatures.
The pubic lice and nits could be removed either with forceps or by cutting the infested hair with scissors. A magnifying glass or a stereo-microscope can be used for the exact identification. If lice are detected in one family member, the entire family needs to be checked and only those who are infested with living lice should be treated.
With public lice, any part of the body may be colonized. The public lice favor the hairs of the genital and peri-anal region. The crabs in particular love male patients. The crab’s eggs can also be found in hair on the abdomen and under the armpits as well as on the beard and mustache. The main symptom of public lice is itching in the pubic hair area. It results from hypersensitivity to parasite saliva and eventually becomes strong enough two or more weeks following initial infestation. The skin turns into a grayish-blue color during the phase of infestation.
Pubic lice are mostly spread through sweat and body contact or sexual contact. In order to avoid transmitting public lice to your partner, it is recommended to avoid all forms of sexual contact until the disease is medically treated. Crab lice can be treated with Permethrin 1% cream rinse and pyrethrins. They can be used for this purpose and are the drugs of choice for pregnant or lactating women.
These agents should be applied to the affected areas and washed off after 10 minutes. Shaving off or grooming any hair in the affected areas with a fine-toothed comb is necessary to ensure full removal of the dead lice and nits, though it does not suffice as treatment on its own. For more information concerning sexually transmitted diseases, please visit an Online Adult Store for more educational information.
