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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffPubic lice, also called crabs, are tiny insects found in your genital area. They are a different type of insect than head lice and body lice. Measuring less than 1/8 inch (3 millimeters), pubic lice received their nickname because their bodies resemble sea crabs.
The most common way to acquire pubic lice is through sexual intercourse. In children, pubic lice may be found in their eyebrows or eyelashes and can be a sign of sexual abuse. However, children can sometimes catch pubic lice from heavily infested parents simply by sharing a communal bed.
Pubic lice feed on your blood and their bites can cause severe itching. Treatment includes applying over-the-counter creams and lotions that kill the parasites and their eggs.
- Goldstein AO, et al. Pediculosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 9, 2010.
- Pubic "crab" lice: Fact sheet. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/lice/pubic/factsheet.html. Accessed April 9, 2010.
- Diaz JH. Crab lice (Pediculosis pubis). In: Mandell GL, et al. Mandell, Douglas and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06839-3..00293-9--s0015&uniq=194092956&isbn=978-0-443-06839-3&sid=980699335#lpState=open&lpTab=contentsTab&content=4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06839-3..00293-9--s0035%3Bfrom%3Dtoc%3Btype%3DbookPage%3Bisbn%3D978-0-443-06839-3. Accessed April 9, 2010.
- Habif TP. Pediculosis: Clinical manifestations. In: Clinical Dermatology. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..00024-9--s0235&displayedEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..00024-9--s0240&uniq=194092956&isbn=978-0-7234-3541-9&sid=980720410. Accessed April 9, 2010.
- Pubic "crab" lice: Treatment. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://cdc.gov/lice/pubic/treatment.html. Accessed April 9, 2010.
- Pubic "crab" lice: Prevention and control. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://cdc.gov/lice/pubic/prevent.html. Accessed April 9, 2010.
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