Intense itching in the genitals or anus
Mild fever
Feeling run down
Irritability
Lice or small egg sacks - nits - in pubic hair. Itching usually begins five days after infestation begins although some people don't itch and don't know they are infested.
How pubic lice are spread:
Contact with infected bedding, clothing, upholstered funiture, and toilet seats.
Intimate sexual contact
Self Diagnosis:
Seen with the naked eye or with a magnifying glass, pubic lice look like tiny crabs. They are pale gray but darken in color when swollen with blood. They attach themselves and their eggs to pubic hair, underarm hair, eyelashes, and eyebrows. Their eggs are white and are deposited in small clumps near the hair roots.
Treatment:
Follow the directions on the package insert of an over-the-counter medication. Repeated head-to-toe applications may be necessary. Pregnant and breastfeeding women, and infants must use products especially designed for them. Everyone who may have been exposed to pubic lice should be treated at the same time. All bedding, towels, and clothing that may have been exposed should be thoroughly washed or dry cleaned, and the home should be vacuumed.
Protection:
Limit the number of intimate and sexual contacts.