Pubic Lice

Pubic lice are common in the UK.
Anyone can get pubic lice; they have nothing to do with poor bodily hygiene and are not always spread through sexual contact.
It is possible to have pubic lice without any symptoms but still spread them to other people.
To get rid of pubic lice, proper treatment is needed. Shaving the hair is not effective.

Pubic lice are sometimes referred to as ‘crabs’.
They are small (about 2 mm long) brown insects that feed on human blood.
Despite being called ‘pubic lice’, they can actually live in any coarse human hair such as pubic, underarm, chest and facial hair but they do not live on head hair.
Pubic lice lay eggs in the hair which take about 6 days to hatch.
They can only move by crawling from one person’s hair to another, they cannot jump.

Pubic lice are spread by close contact between humans. This does not have to be sexual contact but most commonly involves bodily contact with the affected area.
Sometimes pubic lice can be spread by sharing bedding or towels with somebody who is infected, but lice do not survive for very long away from the body.

It is common to have no symptoms of pubic lice until weeks after infestation, or even no symptoms at all.
Common symptoms are itching or inflammation in the affected area. Itching may be worst at night.
You might also see signs of pubic lice such as:
- Brown eggs on hair roots.
- Blue spots and specs of blood on the skin.
- Dark brown powder in underwear (lice droppings).
It is difficult to see the lice themselves although you may see them move.

Although using condoms during sex is recommended, this will not stop the spread of pubic lice.
The best way to protected yourself is to see a healthcare professional if you think that you or anybody you have been in close personal contact with may have pubic lice.
If you are treated for pubic lice then this will prevent you from passing it on to others.

Usually a doctor or nurse will have a close look at the affected area, sometimes with a fine comb and magnifying glass.

You should get checked if:
- A partner or another close contact tells you they have pubic lice.
- You have any of the symptoms listed above.
You can get checked at:
- A sexual health or genitourinary medicine clinic
- Some young person’s / contraception clinics
- GP surgeries

If you have acquired pubic lice from a sexual contact, it is advisable to get screened for other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

The treatment for pubic lice is with permethrin cream or malathion 0.5% solution. You can buy this over the counter from a pharmacy.
Your doctor, nurse or pharmacist will tell you how to use the treatment, which is applied to the whole body and washed off after 12 hours.
You will need to repeat your treatment after 7 days to ensure it is properly effective.
You do not need to shave the hair affected.
Machine wash clothing, bedding and towels at 50 degrees or above. Mattresses should be vacuumed.
You should tell your partner or any other personal contacts from the last three months who may need treatment even if they don’t have symptoms.
You should avoid all close bodily contact including sex (vaginal, anal or oral), until both you and your partner have completed treatment to prevent re-infection.
Itching may persist for a few days or weeks even after successful treatment.

Pubic lice will not go away without treatment.
If your sexual and household contacts do not receive proper treatment, it is possible for you to get re-infected with lice.

The Waiting Room