What
are Crabs, or Pubic
Lice?
How do I get Crabs?
What do Crabs do to my body?
Is there
a cure for Crabs?
How do I find out if
I have Crabs?
How can I reduce my risk
of getting Crabs?
How do I learn more about Crabs?
What
are Crabs, or Pubic Lice?
Crabs are tiny little blood-sucking
bugs (lice) that live in pubic hair
and cause a lot of itching. Lice that live in the hair are not
pubic (pubic hair is the hair on the front of your genital area
or the crotch) lice they are head lice. Crabs have three stages
of life: egg, nit and louse (just one). The nits hatch within
five to 10 days after they are laid.
How do I get Crabs?
- You get Crabs by touching or just
being close to someone who already
has them.
- Even if you don't have sex,
you can get crabs or give them to
someone else.
- These little bugs
can literally jump from one person's
pubic hair to another's when they
are having sex.
- You can get them by sleeping in
a bed, wearing clothes or even from
sitting on a toilet seat that the
Crabs live on.
- Usually, crabs live
in the pubic hair, but lice can also
be in armpits, or mustaches.
- Little
kids usually get them on the eye
brows or eye lashes.
What do Crabs do to my body?
- Usually a lot of itching because
of the lice bites.
- Dark or bluish
spots appear where you were bitten
and last for several days.
Is there
a cure for Crabs?
- You can treat Crabs
by putting a liquid medicine directly
on your pubic hair.
- You can get
a prescription from your doctor.
- You can buy treatments in the store
too.
- After the treatment, use a
small comb to take out the lice and
the eggs.
- Make sure you wash and
dry your clothes, bedding, towels,
etc. with hot water to kill crabs and their
eggs.
How do I find out if I have Crabs?
You can go to your doctor's office
and let him or her check you to see
if you have Crabs.
How can I reduce my risk of getting
Crabs?
Talk to Your Partner
Ask the person you are having sex with
if he or she has crabs or if they had
sex with someone who had Crabs. If
they have had sex with someone who
had Crabs, they will need to be treated. Also, tell your partner
if you have Crabs.
Limit the Number of Partners
If you are going to have sex, have
it with just one person and ask about his or her sexual history.
The fewer people you have sex with the safer you will be.
Don't Have Sex
Do not have sex with someone who has
Crabs, by doing so you can protect yourself from getting Crabs.
If they will not tell you they have Crabs, look and see for
yourself.
Protect Yourself
Always use a condom when you are having
sex to help strengthen the chances of not getting Crabs.
How do I learn more about
Crabs?
Visit:
The American
Social Health Association (ASHA)
http://www.ASHAstd.org
Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
http://www.cdc.gov
For
Information, you can call:
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC)
1-800-342-2437
AIDS Hotline: 1-800-227-8922
Hotlines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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