Medicines for Pubic lice

What it is

Pubic lice ("crabs") are tiny parasitic insects that live in coarse body hair — most commonly the pubic hair, but also hair on the chest, tummy, armpits, beard, and occasionally eyelashes and eyebrows. They are different from head lice and do not usually live in scalp hair. They spread mainly through close body contact, including sexual contact, and less often via shared bedding, towels or clothing. The main symptom is itching in the affected area, which is often worse at night, and some people notice the lice or their eggs (nits) attached to the hair, or tiny spots of blood or dark specks on the skin or underwear. Pubic lice are harmless and do not spread disease, but they are uncomfortable and easily passed on, so treatment and checking partners are important. They are diagnosed by finding the lice or eggs.

How it is treated

Pubic lice are treated with insecticide lotions, creams or shampoos designed to kill lice, available from pharmacies, applied to the affected areas (and usually the whole body, as they can be in hair elsewhere) and repeated after a week or so to catch any newly hatched lice, as directed. Because they spread through close contact, sexual partners and close household contacts should be checked and treated at the same time to prevent reinfection, and it is sensible to avoid close body contact until everyone has completed treatment. Washing bedding, towels and clothing on a hot wash helps. Lice affecting the eyelashes are treated differently (not with the usual lotions) and may need medical advice. Because pubic lice can be passed on through sexual contact, it can be worth a sexual health check for other infections. The reassuring message is that pubic lice are harmless and easily treated, though partners need treating too.