Pubic lice live in pubic hair, which is the hair around the penis and the vagina. They are also sometimes found in other body hair such as on the legs, under arms or on the stomach. They do not live in the hair on your head.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of pubic lice can be:

• itching in the areas where the lice are living
• black powder, which is their droppings, in your underwear
• little round spots, which are their eggs, fixed on your hairs.

Some people notice the lice themselves but usually they are too small to see.

How they are passed on

Pubic lice are passed on by close skin-to-skin contact, often during sex, although they can also be passed on by other close contact, such as sharing a bed. You cannot get lice from lavatory seats or by simply sharing a chair with someone.

What can I do if I think I have pubic lice?

If you think you have pubic lice you can go to a NHS sexual health clinic. You can read more about clinics and find your nearest one elsewhere on this website. You can also visit one of our Fastest clinics or your local or family doctor (GP).

By law sexual health clinics cannot tell anyone about your visit. However, these rules do not apply to your GP who can tell other people that you have had an appointment with them.

Testing

The doctor or nurse can tell whether you have lice just by looking: often they will use a microscope to do this.

Treatment

The doctor will give you some lotion to put on that will get rid of the pubic lice. You can put the lotion on at home and this does not hurt. You will usually have to apply the lotion a few times over a day or so until the lice have gone. The doctor may ask you to return for a checkup to make sure the lice have all been killed.

Sometimes you will still itch for a time after the lice have gone. The doctor can give you a lotion to help stop this.

You should wash the bedclothes you slept in, any towels you have used and any clothes you have worn while you had the lice to make sure you get rid of them.

Inform your partners

If you have pubic lice it is best to tell your boyfriend or girlfriend or anyone else you have had sex with recently, or been in very close contact with, so that they can get a checkup.