Pubic lice

Pubic lice are tiny insects that can live on body hair, especially the pubic hair around the penis or vagina. They’re spread through close body contact, most commonly through sexual contact.

Pubic lice are sometimes also called crabs.

Check if you have pubic lice

Pubic lice are very small (2mm long) and grey-brown in colour.

They can be hard to spot, but sometimes you may be able to see them in your hair.

They most often live on pubic hair around the penis or vagina, but can also be found in hair on the chest, armpits, face and eyelashes. They do not affect hair on the head.

Other symptoms of pubic lice include:

itching, which is usually worse at night
small red or blue spots on your skin (lice bites)
white/yellow dots attached to your hair (lice eggs)
dark red or brown spots in your underwear (lice poo)
crusted or sticky eyelashes, if they’re affected

Call 999 or go to A&E now if you or someone has any of these:

Signs of a heart attack (chest pain, pressure, heaviness, tightness or squeezing across the chest)
Signs of a stroke (face dropping on one side, cannot hold both arms up, difficulty speaking)
Sudden confusion or delirium (unsure of own name or age)
Suicide attempt (by taking something or self-harming)
Severe difficulty breathing (not being able to get words out, choking or gasping)
A serious accident, or severe injuries burns or scalds
Heavy bleeding (spraying, pouring or enough to make a puddle)
Severe injuries (after a serious accident or assault)
A seizure or fit (shaking, jerking, or unconscious & can’t be woken up)
Sudden, rapid swelling (of the lips, mouth, throat or tongue)

How to stop pubic lice spreading

While you’re being treated for pubic lice, there are some things you can do to help stop the lice spreading to others and stop the lice coming back.

wash your clothes and bedding on a hot wash (50C or higher), get them dry cleaned, or put them in a plastic bag for at least a week – this will help kill any lice
vacuum your mattress to remove any lice
do not share clothes, bedding or hygiene products (such as razors)

do not have close body contact (including sexual contact) with anyone else during treatment

How you get pubic lice

Pubic lice are mainly spread by close body contact, most commonly sexual contact.

The lice cannot jump or fly, but can climb from one person to another.

You can also catch the lice from clothes, bedding or towels used by someone with pubic lice, but this is rare.

How to avoid getting pubic lice

It can be hard to prevent pubic lice.

The only way to avoid getting them is to avoid having sexual contact (or sharing bedding or clothing) with anyone you know who has pubic lice, until they’ve been treated.

Condoms and other forms of contraception will not protect you from pubic lice. But it’s still a good idea to use condoms during sex because they reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).