KissMeGoodnight
eLearning Series:
Your Sexual Health
What
are Crabs? How Do You Get Rid of Them?
Crabs
(pubic lice) are parasites that prefer the pubic region
of the body, but will be content on any hair
they find. However, these lice seem not to prefer the hair
on top of our heads. They do not care whether you are a woman
or a man. Crabs can be seen if you look for them. A person
who is infected with scabies can inadvertently transmit them
to another person. You do not need to be having sex to become
infested.
Crabs
can only be transferred to another person through intercourse.
Along with this, they can be spread if you share the same bedding
or clothing of an infected individual. Extreme itching in the
pubic area may be a cause of concern. With crabs the severe
itching usually begins after the fifth day of exposure. Crabs
can get anywhere you have hair on your body though they usually
are not found in the hair on your head.
What
methods are available to treat crabs? There are treatments
available without a prescription that includes creams and medicated
shampoos. It is not necessary to shave your pubic hair to remove
crabs. Read the treatment directions and follow them completely.
You will have to wash all your items in hot water and dry on
a hot setting. Items that cannot go in a washer should be placed
in a large plastic bag that you leave outside for up to 72
hours or longer if needed. It is important to remember that
person can become re-infected once treatment has completed.
Permethrin & Lindane are non-prescription
treatments that work well in eliminating crabs. Though remember,
if you still
have symptoms to contact your health care professional.
Is
it a wise choice not to get treatment for crabs? No, if
you choose not to treat this very uncomfortable problem, it
will get worse. In addition to the infestation and the discomfort,
the constant re-infections will cause a serious skin infection.
It is not necessary to let it get this bad when there are non-medical
treatments available.
If you or your sexual partner has been infected with crabs,
both have to be treated. It is just as important to tell everyone
you have had sex with so they can also be treated. Do not have
sex until you and the people you have had sex with, have been
completely treated. All of your symptoms should have disappeared
before resuming intercourse, or you could infest each other
again. If there are any other members in your household, they
should also be checked for crabs.
Millions of people get this annoying pest every year. Crabs
are the common term for pubic lice. They look like crabs under
a microscope, but can be seen by the naked eye with close inspection.
Crabs are different from head or body lice, although the same
intense itching occurs, albeit in a different area of the body.
The other transmissible tiny parasite that can cause itching
in the genital area is scabies. Normally you do not have any
symptoms of crabs until at least five days after a possible
infestation has occurred. Adult crabs look like whitish flecks
on the genitals and itch a bit more. Sky-blue spots, which
fade to brown, are bites and defecation. Scabies, however,
are IN the skin, so you will see bumps, perhaps blisters, and
crusty skin. It is extremely easy to transmit either by skin-to-skin
contact. It is also possible to get crabs from bedding, clothing,
or toilet seats.
Large items such as bedding items can be placed in a plastic
bag and stored away from everything else, such as in the garage
or basement, for at least a month. During this time, lice and
nits that hatch will die without blood to feed upon. After
the pests are gone, you may still have some itching due to
skin irritation or allergic reaction. Hydrocortisone cream
can take care of that. It is very important to remember that
if you have had contact with anyone who might have crabs, you
should be examined. Others in the household may require treatment
if symptoms begin. It is best to abstain from sexual contact
for 48 hours after treatment. Examine yourself after one week
to determine if any nits remain. To avoid catching crabs again
make sure sex partner(s) are treated too. Telling a partner
might be uncomfortable, but it is important that they get treatment
as soon as possible. # # # # #
KissMeGoodnight.com
: 2006
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