MC Advice Needed

Dear Dr:

I recently had about 20 red bumps appear in my pubic hair.  I went to the dermatologist and she said that in her opinion it was mollusculum.  She applied liquid nitrogen and I am waiting for the bumps to disappear.  My questions are:

1. How did I get this?  I have been with only one woman sexually for eight months and she has never had a sympton.
2. Is it contagious shortly after freezing (assuming it is even contagious)?  
3. Is it really contagious through sexual contact?  If not, why do so many websites treat it like a STD?  
4. Does Oxy-10 work to get rid of MC?
5. Once it is gone, I assume that it is not something I need to worry further about?  

Thanks for providing a very valuable service.  

[Jasmina Jankicevic, MD, MSc, CCRP]

Welcome to the Dermatology Expert Forum!

Answers to your questions are:

1. Mollusca contagiosum is an STD but can also spread through direct person-to-person contact, through contact with contaminated objects. Scratching, rubbing  or shaving can spread the virus to nearby skin (autoinoculation). Patients with impaired immune systems are at risk of developing more-severe lesions.

2. Theoretically, as long as there is any sort of Molluscum contagiosum  debris, causative virus could be present.

3. Yes it is.

4. Main therapeutic options are: cryotherapy (freezing with liquid nitrogen), curettage (physical removal – ‘scraping’), and laser therapy. Benzoyl peroxide may help with inflammation, but is not a treatment of choice.  

5. Yes, you should stop worrying, it is not beneficial. Just be proactive about your treatment and preventive measures.

Wishing You Optimal Health,
Dr. Jasmina Jankicevic