Crabs
(Pubic Lice)

• Crabs Overview
• Crabs Causes
• Crabs Symptoms
• When to Seek Medical Care
• Exams and Tests
• Crabs Treatment
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• Self-Care at Home
• Next Steps
• Follow-up
• Prevention
• Outlook
• Synonyms and Keywords
• Authors and Editors

Crabs Overview

When someone says they have "crabs," they are talking about a particular type of parasitic infection. Crabs is the common term for lice found in the pubic hair of humans, a condition medically known as pediculosis pubis. Barely the size of a pinhead, lice are organisms that live only with the help of another organism, called a host. There are thousands of types of lice, some of which have developed an attraction to humans. The official name for the organism responsible for pubic lice is Pthirus pubis. Other lice that often infect humans are Pediculus humanus capitis (head lice) and Pediculus humanus corporis (body lice). The term "crabs" seems to come from the microscopic appearance of the pubic louse, but the organisms are visible to the naked eye in affected areas.