Pubic Lice

The infection cannot be transmitted to the fetus but it can lead to prematurity in the pregnancy. It can affect men as much as women. Men can get infection of the urethra and the prostate gland. Long-standing prostatic inflammation can ultimately lead to an increase in prostate cancer.

Trichomonas can be tested for by looking at the organism under a light microscope. It can also be cultured in the laboratory but it is only about 70 to 89 percent sensitive in detecting the disease. The best test is one that looks for the DNA that is found in the fluids of people infected by the organism.

It can be prevented by using male or female condoms. It is not likely to be spread through water because, at least in hot water, the organism dies within thirty minutes to three hours. It is not screened for in pregnancy or in nonpregnant females but is tested for in women with vaginal discharge. It is treated with certain antibiotics, usually metronidazole. Sexual partners should be treated as well. One dose kills most of the infections.

PUBIC LICE

Pubic lice are also referred to as crab lice or crabs. This is a parasitic insect that feeds only on human blood. It is found in pubic hair and is only found in humans. It can rarely be seen on human eyelashes. It is a tiny louse less than 2 millimeters in length and has a round body. Figure 18 is what the pubic louse looks like:

Figure 18.

The pubic louse likes to lay its eggs on coarse hair so it tends to stick to genital, perianal, beard, eyelash, moustache, or armpit hairs. They are not found on scalp hair. About three eggs a day are laid, which take about a week to hatch. After hatching, it takes up to 27 days to reach adulthood. Each adult lives about thirty days. They only eat human blood about 5 times a day.

The most common symptom of a louse infestation is pubic itching caused by the sensitivity of the human host to the louse saliva. About 2 percent of the population is believed to be infested with pubic lice. It is usually spread through sexual contact but nonsexual transmission can happen through the sharing of towels, bedding, and clothing. They cannot survive easily outside of human contact.

Pubic lice themselves do not transmit other diseases. They can travel up to 10 inches on the human body and are almost always seen in adults. Secondary bacterial infection can