2025 Guide: How Do You Get Scabies and Is It Sexually Transmitted? Costs & Facts

How Do You Contract Scabies?

Scabies is commonly acquired through prolonged close physical contact with an infected individual. This contact often occurs within households or during intimate encounters, including sexual activity. Even brief contact lasting as little as 10 minutes can be sufficient for transmission.

Though sexual contact can transmit scabies, it is primarily spread via nonsexual skin-to-skin contact. Less commonly, scabies can be transmitted indirectly through contaminated items such as furniture, clothing, or bedding.

Continue reading to understand scabies' contagious period and how to prevent its spread.

Is Scabies Classified as a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI)?

Yes, scabies is recognized as an STI because it can be transmitted through sexual or close body contact with an infected person. It is sometimes mistaken for pubic lice due to similar symptoms.

Unlike other STIs, barrier methods like condoms and dental dams do not fully prevent scabies transmission. Both partners must undergo treatment simultaneously, and laundering of clothing and bedding is essential to prevent reinfection.

Modes of Scabies Transmission

Scabies spreads mainly via direct skin contact with an infected person. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that transmission generally requires prolonged contact, making brief interactions like handshakes unlikely to cause infection.

Close contact environments include:

• Households
• Nursing homes and long-term care facilities
• Hospitals
• Schools and classrooms
• Daycare centers
• Dormitories and student housing
• Gyms and sports locker rooms
• Prisons
• Refugee camps

Sharing personal items such as towels, clothing, and bedding can occasionally spread scabies, especially in cases of crusted scabies, which affects individuals with compromised immune systems.

Duration of Contagiousness

Scabies remains contagious until effective treatment is completed. Initial symptoms typically appear 4 to 8 weeks after first exposure, but if previously infected, symptoms may develop within days. Importantly, scabies can be contagious before symptoms emerge.

An infected person usually harbors 10 to 15 mites, which can live on the skin for 1 to 2 months. Female mites lay eggs that hatch within 2 to 3 weeks.

After applying prescribed treatment, mites begin to die within hours. However, the rash may persist for 3 to 4 weeks post-treatment. If symptoms continue beyond this period or new rashes appear, consult a healthcare professional.

Household-wide treatment is common to prevent reinfection. Children and adults can typically return to school, daycare, or work the day after treatment.

Understanding Scabies

Scabies is a contagious skin infestation caused by the Sarcoptes scabiei mite, which burrows into the skin to lay eggs. The resulting burrows cause intense itching, especially at night, and may produce thin, red or discolored tracks or bumps.

Commonly affected areas include:

• Buttocks
• Knees
• Arms
• Breasts
• Genital regions

Recognizing Scabies Symptoms

Intense nighttime itching is the hallmark symptom of scabies, often accompanied by a blistering rash. Close contact with an infected individual increases your risk, so monitor for symptoms carefully.

If you suspect scabies, consult a healthcare provider for diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

Diagnostic Procedures

Diagnosis involves a physical examination to identify signs such as rashes, burrows, mite eggs, or fecal matter. Because the mite count is typically low, treatment may be prescribed even if mites or eggs are not visibly detected.

Effective Scabies Treatments

Treatment requires prescription topical creams or lotions. All recent sexual partners and household members should be treated simultaneously, regardless of symptom presence.

Medications are generally applied over the entire body from the neck down after bathing. Some treatments are safe for hair and face application. Treatment duration typically ranges from 8 to 10 hours, often overnight, with multiple applications possibly necessary.

Strict adherence to medical instructions is vital to avoid skin irritation and ensure infection clearance.

Commonly prescribed scabies medications include:

• Permethrin cream (Elmite)
• Lindane lotion
• Crotamiton (Eurax)
• Ivermectin (Stromectol)
• Sulfur ointment
• Malathion (Ovide)

Additional treatments may address symptoms like itching and secondary infections, including antihistamines, calamine lotion, topical steroids, and antibiotics.

Preventing Scabies Recurrence

To prevent re-infestation, complete the full course of treatment and thoroughly wash all clothing, bedding, and towels. Vacuum your home, including upholstered furniture, and isolate non-washable items for at least 72 hours.

Mites cannot survive more than 48 to 72 hours off a human host and are killed by exposure to temperatures of 122°F (50°C) for 10 minutes.

Treat all close contacts to minimize the risk of repeated infections.

Summary

Scabies is a contagious skin condition affecting people worldwide. Although it can be sexually transmitted, it primarily spreads through close, nonsexual skin contact. Sharing personal items can also contribute to transmission.

If you experience symptoms or suspect exposure, promptly seek medical evaluation and treatment to protect yourself and others.

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