In the strict medical sense only gonorrhea and syphilis are venereal diseases, the others are infections. And there are two more problem conditions that can be caught genitally, infestations. These are pubic lice and scabies, infestations by parasites or mites passed on by body contact.
Pubic lice, or crabs as they are commonly called, are the genital versions of the head lice that can infect adults and children alike. These parasites burrow into the skin around the pubic hair shafts. On the skin the lice appear as tiny grey-brown dots; their minute eggs as tiny white clusters clinging to the hair. Pharmacies sell ointments for treating the conditio*’
Scabies, the itch, are caused by a mite that burrows into the skin and causes fierce irritation and itch. The female mite lays her eggs beneath the skin where they hatch about five weeks after incubation. Treatment involves painting the itchy patches and most of the body with a chemical solution.
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