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Question
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Is there any difference between crabs and pubic lice or are they the same thing?
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Answer
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"Crabs" is the common, slang expression for pubic lice (pediculosis pubis).
They are also more colorfully known as Papillon d'Amour (French for
"Butterfly of Love"). Similar to ordinary head lice, crabs are one of
the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs), with over
three million new cases treated each year. They are also one of the only sexually
transmitted infections you can get through nonsexual means, such as
sharing towels or sleeping in the bed of an infected person.
After infection, the female lice produce eggs, which they attach to hairs at
the rate of about three a day for around a week. These eggs hatch in about
seven days and the new lice then begin to mate and produce eggs after
approximately two weeks. With numbers like these, it is possible to have a
severe infestation of lice in a matter of weeks. The most common symptom is
mild to severe itching in the infected areas. You can also see and feel the
lice or the egg cases (known as nits).
Although serious complications are rare, having lice can be a source of great
discomfort and embarrassment. Luckily, treatment is relatively easy. Although
there are many home remedies for "drowning" the
crabs, most of these don't work and can actually cause more harm. The
appropriate treatment is to use a prescription or over-the-counter cream,
lotion, or shampoo such as Kwell, RID, or Nix, as well as going through the
pubic hair with a fine-tooth comb to loosen the nits. It's also important
to wash and treat all clothes, bedsheets, combs, and other personal articles
since lice can live for more than 24-48 hours once they leave the body (they need blood to live).
So, there you have it: Crabs are nothing more than an annoying, though
very ugly, form of parasite and another name for pubic lice.
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Best,
Dr. Sandor Gardos
MyPleasure provides up-to-date and useful sexual education materials in combination
with a store that allows people to buy, try, and learn about new aspects of
sexuality. We believe everybody deserves a great sex life.
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