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Whittall Street Clinic is featured in Channel 4's new programme ‘The Sex Clinic’, starts 10pm Thursday 11th April.
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New Rapid HIV Testing clinic at St Martin’s in the Bullring
Now open every Tuesday 11.00am - 3.15pm - no appointment needed.
The clinic is located upstairs in the St Martin’s Centre for Health & Healing next to the Church in the Bullring. Entrance to the clinic is via St Martin’s church shop.
Pubic lice
Pubic lice are tiny parasitic six-legged insects that live in pubic hair. They are yellow grey and about 2mm long. They are often called “crabs” because of the way they look. They can transmit during sex. They lay small gray oval eggs that attach to the hair and are called “nits”.
Other types of lice can live on coarse hair growing in the armpits, eyebrows, head, and men’s chest and stomach, and beard.
How are they passed on?
Lice do not jump, they move from hair to hair; so can only pass through very close body contact. Pubic lice are easily passed from one person to another by close body contact. Both men and women can get pubic lice and spread during sex. They can also be passed on by sharing bed with a partner with pubic lice without having sex with them.
Rarely, pubic lice can be passed on through contact with toilet seats, bedding or blankets.
Animals cannot spread lice to humans.
Symptoms
It may take several weeks after coming into contact with pubic lice for any symptoms to appear. The most common symptom of pubic lice is itching of the area covered with pubic hair.
Symptoms may include:
- Itching in the affected area that is worse at night
- Dark blue powdery droppings from the lice in your underwear
- Gray brown oval eggs attached to the affected hair
How is pubic lice diagnosed?
Genital examination by an experienced clinician. Adult lice can be seen under microscope.
What is the treatment for pubic lice?
Pubic lice can be treated easily by using a special cream called permethrin 5%. It should be applied thoroughly to the pubic hair and the surrounding area, and rinsed after 15 minutes. Combing hair with a fine toothed comb will remove the nits from the hair. Some individuals may need to repeat treatment within 4-7 days.
All clothing and linen must be washed in hot (50°C) water. Items that cannot be washed may be sprayed with a medicated spray or sealed (suffocated) in plastic bags and not used for 10 - 14 days. It is important for all intimate contacts (including sexual partners) to be treated at the same time.
People with pubic lice should be evaluated for other sexually-transmitted infections at the time of diagnosis.
Treatment for pubic lice is free at Whittall Street Clinic; it can also be bought at the chemist or prescribed by your GP.
You can help protect yourself from STI by using condoms every time you have sex.
