To live, a nymph must feed on blood. Adult: The adult pubic louse resembles a miniature crab when viewed through a strong magnifying glass. Pubic lice have six legs; their two front legs are very large and look like the pincher claws of a crab. Females lay nits and are usually larger than males. To live, lice must feed on blood. If the louse falls off a person, it dies within 1—2 days.
Pubic lice usually are found in the genital area on pubic hair; but they may occasionally be found on other coarse body hair, such as hair on the legs, armpits, mustache, beard, eyebrows, or eyelashes. Pubic lice on the eyebrows or eyelashes of children may be a sign of sexual exposure or abuse. Lice found on the head generally are head lice, not pubic lice. Pubic lice usually are spread through sexual contact and are most common in adults.
Pubic lice found on children may be a sign of sexual exposure or abuse. Occasionally, pubic lice may be spread by close personal contact or contact with articles such as clothing, bed linens, or towels that have been used by an infested person. A common misconception is that pubic lice are spread easily by sitting on a toilet seat.
This would be extremely rare because lice cannot live long away from a warm human body and they do not have feet designed to hold onto or walk on smooth surfaces such as toilet seats. Persons infested with pubic lice should be examined for the presence of other sexually transmitted diseases. Pubic lice may be difficult to find because there may be only a few. They're spread by close physical contact, including sexual contact. It can take up to three weeks after coming into contact with pubic lice before you notice any symptoms.
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. They're most commonly passed on during sexual contact and condoms won't prevent them from being passed to another person. The most common symptom of pubic lice is itchy red spots. The itching is caused by an allergy to the louse saliva or poo. It can take one to three weeks for itching to develop after the first infestation, and it will usually be worse at night.
Adult pubic lice are tiny - smaller than a match head. They're grey-brown in colour and have six legs. The two pairs of back legs are much larger and look like the pincer claws of a crab. They use these to grasp onto your hair. If you think you have pubic lice, make an appointment with your GP or local sexual health services. There is no test for lice, but you may see the lice crawling in your body hair and your GP or sexual health clinic will look for visible evidence of the lice.
You can also buy treatment over the counter at your local pharmacist although they will not be able to diagnose the infestation. Pubic lice can be treated at home with insecticidal lotion or cream that will kill the lice. This will usually need to be applied once and repeated after seven days. Condoms do not protect someone from pubic lice because the lice live outside of the area that condoms cover.
If your teen is diagnosed with pubic lice, it is important to talk about the risks of sex. Your teen needs reliable information about STDs sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancy. Topics to cover:. If you don't feel comfortable talking with your kids about STDs and other topics related to sex , make sure they can turn to someone else for accurate information.
This could be a doctor or nurse practitioner , counselor, school nurse, teacher, or a trusted family member. Reviewed by: Robyn R. Miller, MD.
Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What Are Pubic Lice Crabs? Pubic lice are also called "crabs" because of the tiny claws they use to cling to hair. Pubic lice usually cause itchiness. This can get worse at night when the lice become active. Most people with pubic lice got them through sex or close sexual contact.
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