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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffIf you can't get rid of pubic lice on your own, you may need to talk to your family doctor.
What you can do
Before the appointment, you may want to write a list that answers the following questions:
- How long do you think you've had pubic lice?
- What types of symptoms are you experiencing?
- How did you become infested?
- Have you spread the infestation to others?
- What treatments have you already tried?
- Do you have any chronic health problems?
- What types of medications or supplements do you take?
What to expect from your doctor
During the physical exam, your doctor will check your genital area for signs of live lice or viable lice eggs (nits).
- 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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