What is pubic lice?

Pubic lice, commonly referred to as crabs, is a type of louse that lives in coarser hair on the body. It is most commonly found in pubic hair (the hair around the genitals) although it can also be found in armpit hair, and infrequently in beards or eyelashes.
These lice are small bugs which feed off of human blood and lay eggs along the shaft of pubic hair. They live for around 3-4 weeks, but can only survive 24-48 off of a human without feeding.

How do I know if I have/get pubic lice?

The only sure way to know if you have pubic lice is to find them. You can keep an eye out for symptoms such as itching in your pubic area, but we recommend checking yourself regularly if you are having sex with your genitals.

You can look for lice by running a lice comb through your pubic hair and wiping it on a damp white paper towel, tissue, or piece of toilet paper and examining the paper. They can be hard to spot, especially if they are young or male.

How can I prevent transmitting pubic lice?

The best thing you can do is monitor yourself for pubic lice. If you do find them, immediately purchase over the counter pubic lice treatment and follow the instructions on the label. Do not use scalp lice treatment on your pubic hair.

Shaving and most other forms of hair removal do not prevent or treat pubic lice. The lice are resilient and can cling to even very short stubs of hair or other hair on your body.

You can learn more about where HEAL NS got this information from at:
https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/stds-hiv-safer-sex/pubic-lice
https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/pubic-lice.html#:~:text=Because%20pubic%20lice%20usually%20spread,not%20always%20prevent%20pubic%20lice
*disclaimer: we do not necessarily endorse all of the information, content, or language used in these references.