Sexual relations, due to the close and prolonged contact that they entail with another person, are a frequent route of transmission of a good number of diseases. One of them, against which not even fundamental security measures such as condoms can protect us, is the ftiriasis or infestation by lice.
What are crabs?
Ladilla is the common name that receives Pthirus pubis, an anoplural insect (i.e. a type of blood lousewhich feeds on blood) ectoparasite (which means that it is a parasite that lives on the outside of another organism) of the human being.
In general, they are located in the pubic area of the host, which explains why the vast majority of infections occur through sexual intercourse. However, sometimes they can also be lodged in other parts of the body, such as hair, eyebrows, eyelashes and body or armpit hair, which explains why in certain instances they can be transmitted from person to person in other ways, such as the use of clothing of a carrier person. The only way to avoid getting crab lice is to make sure your sexual partner is not infested.
Due to their eating habits, crab lice cause a series of small lesions that together produce a intense itching. In addition, as a consequence, spots on the skin (in the form of itching) and small stains on the underwear due to drops of blood may appear.
How are they removed?
Fortunately, phthiriasis is very easy to treat: usually, simply use over-the-counter products with insecticides such as permethrin or pyrethrins, available in pharmacies.
However, it may happen that the problem does not go away with this method. In this case, it is necessary to go to a doctor, who can prescribe more powerful treatments such as malathion or ivermectin.
Be that as it may, it is important to emphasize that it is advisable to thoroughly review and treat all hairy areas of the body, since as we pointed out, the crabs can take refuge in them. Likewise, it should be noted that waxing or shaving does not necessarily end parasites.