Search the site
Translate this website
-
Whittall Street Clinic is featured in Channel 4's new programme ‘The Sex Clinic’, starts 10pm Thursday 11th April.
-
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.
Scabies
Scabies is caused by tiny parasitic mites, about the size of a full stop. When passed to a person they burrow into the skin and lay eggs.
The mites that cause scabies can be found in the genital area, on the hands, between fingers, on the wrists and elbows, underneath the arms, on the stomach, feet and ankles and around the buttocks.
How is it passed on?
Scabies can be passed from one person to another by close body contact with someone who has scabies. They can also be passed on by sharing bed with a partner with pubic lice without having sex with them.
The mites can live outside the body for up to 72 hours, so it is occasionally possible to spread scabies on clothing, bedding or towels.
Symptoms.
It can take up to six weeks from contact with someone with scabies for signs and symptoms to appear.
Symptoms include:
- Intense itching in the affected areas, which may be worse at night or after a hot bath or shower
- An itchy rash or tiny spots
- Fine silvery lines on the skin, particularly in creases of the fingers or elbows
How is scabies diagnosed?
Close examination of the skin by an experienced clinician.
What is the treatment for scabies?
Scabies is easily treated using a cream or lotion, which is applied to the whole body and kept on overnight. The cream should be rinsed off after a certain amount of time. Creams may need to be re-applied after one week.
Clothes, bedding and towels need to be washed at a very high temperature (above 50°C) to avoid being re-infected.
All sexual partners and the whole of family need to be treated at the same time, even if they do not have any symptoms.
Treatment for scabies 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.
