Could I have crabs?

[quickquestion1122]

I haven't had sexual contact for about six weeks now. Around the time of my last sexual activity, I noticed about eight small bugs on my right arm. They were attached to the hairs on my arm and I had to pull them off with some force. At the time, I described them as "very small and spider-like". There was no itching, no rash, and no other 'signs' of lice. I removed those eight bugs and never saw them again. There were none in my pubic area at all.

That was about six weeks ago. Then yesterday, I noticed another one of these bugs in my pubic region, crawling very quickly. I picked it off and flushed it. Since then, I have been looking for them and have found about five or six more (sometimes I look and find none, other times I find one and pick it off). These look similar to the bugs I saw last time, only a little bit smaller. I have NO itching whatsoever. There are very few of the bugs and I don't see anything in the lining of my clothes, not even with a magnifying glass. The bugs don't look exactly like the pictures of public lice that I have seen online, though they are very small, so it's hard to be sure. I can't tell if these bugs have four or six legs.

I assume that these are *probably* pubic lice, just because I don't know what else they would be. However, it seems very odd that I would have them popping up now when it's been a month and a half since I was last sexually active, and since I have so few of them and with no itching at all or other signs. Is there anything else that this could be? I don't want to treat myself for pubic lice (i.e. apply the recommended shampoo) if I have a different problem.

(Since yesterday, I have only seen these bugs in or just beside my pubic hair, which I trimmed very short in order to get a closer look. They aren't on my arm now or anywhere else on me as far as I can tell.

[gracefromHHP]

You shouldn't self treat. you need to go and be seen.  

once you get a proper diagnosis, if it really is lice you'll need to treat your bedding and everything else in your house hold properly too.

grace

[quickquestion1122]

Thanks.

I've looked at a lot of pictures of public areas infested with lice and I'm thinking that's not what I have. I have to really search hard with a magnifying glass to find the bugs in my pubic hair, and they are very, very small and there are very few of them. My pubic area just doesn't look like those that I see infested in pictures. Is there anything else this could be?

Also, if I go ahead and buy RID and use it, will it harm me if in fact I don't have crabs? RID is a lot cheaper than the doctor so if there's a chance that RID would be effective, I'd rather do that.

[auntiejessi]

It could be, but I'd get it checked by a doctor before using anything.

AJ