Molluscum (click here) (muh-luhs-kum) contagiosum (kən-tā-jē-ō-səm) is a common skin disease. It is caused by a virus. This virus easily spreads from person to person.
People can get molluscum by sharing towels and clothing. Wrestlers and gymnasts may get it from touching infected mats. Skin-to-skin contact also spreads the virus.
Often the only sign of molluscum is pink or flesh-colored bumps on the skin. These bumps can appear anywhere on the skin.
According to a recent survey, (click here) a large percentage of US college students remove some or all of their pubic hair,1
as does a sizable portion of the rest of the population. It’s a
growing trend that may actually have ancient roots, as pubic hair
removal was thought to have been practiced among women in ancient
Greece, Egypt and Rome....In modern times, both men and women use a variety of methods (shaving, waxing, clipping, lasers) to remove pubic hair, and describe various motivations for doing so.
Among women, the most popular reasons include the belief that it looks better in a bathing suit, increases feelings of attractiveness, feels more comfortable and the belief that it’s cleaner.
Ironically, this latter reasoning may be contradictory, as new research suggests shaving your pubic hair may actually increase your risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease (STD) known as molluscum contagiosum.
Outbreaks have been reported in (click here)
- swimming pools, saunas, and steam baths,
- wrestling matches,
- during surgery, by a surgeon with a hand lesion (sore),
- getting tattoos (rare).
Despite its prevalence, molluscum contagiosum is one of the lesser-known STDs. A type of pox virus, molluscum is actually most common in children, although it also affects adults with weakened immune systems and can be spread through sexual contact. The virus causes firm, pearl-like bumps on the skin, which, though painless, can become easily red and inflamed.
If the bumps are scratched, the infection spreads easily person-to-person as well as through contaminated objects. Shaving over the bumps can also cause the virus to spread. In most cases the infection will resolve within six to 12 months with no treatment, so keeping your immune system strong is important. The bumps can also be removed to help prevent spread of the infection....
