Prevention Methods for Pubic Lice

Pubic lice are six-legged parasites that live in human body hair, especially in the pubic area. They live by feeding on the blood of their human hosts. Although lice infestation, or pediculosis, is generally considered a sexually transmitted condition, it's possible to catch it in other ways.



Pubic lice aren't a serious health issue, but they are a highly contagious nuisance. Taking preventative measures can prevent transmission of these parasites from person to person.

Symptoms and Diagnosis

• Pubic lice prefer to live in pubic hair, but they can also infest armpits, leg hair, chest hair, and even facial hair (including the eyebrows and eyelashes). Pubic lice are sometimes called "crabs," because of their appearance when observed under a microscope or magnifying glass.

  Pubic lice and their eggs are very small, and may be hard to identify with the naked eye. Lice infestations are usually characterized by incessant itchiness of the skin.

Sexual Transmission

• Pubic lice are highly contagious, and are usually spread through sexual contact with an infected person. Therefore, the best prevention against public lice is to limit your number of casual sexual partners; this lowers your chance of coming into contact with an infected person. Condoms are not an effective means of protecting yourself from pubic lice.

  The only way to get rid of pubic lice is to apply a lice-killing medication to the affected area. In suspected or confirmed cases of sexual transmission, all current sexual partners should avoid physical contact until they have examined themselves for lice and successfully treated any infestation. It's also important to treat infested clothes, bedding and towels.

Bedding and Clothing

• Pubic lice can live for several days in bedding and clothing, and may spread to people who share these infested items. To kill the lice and their eggs, wash infested items with laundry detergent and hot water (130°F or higher), and then dry them in a clothes dryer on the highest heat setting. Dry cleaning will kill lice in fabrics that are not machine washable.