Symptoms
If you have molluscum contagiosum, you’ll have hard, round growths near your genitals or on other body parts. The growths can be small or as large as a pencil eraser. The bumps are usually flesh-colored, pink, or white. They often have a tiny dent or dimple in the middle. The bumps can show up alone or in groups. The bumps usually don’t hurt, but they may be itchy, sore, swollen, or red.
You see symptoms where the infection happened. So if you get molluscum contagiosum from sex, you will have bumps on your thighs and/or genital area. If you get it from sharing a towel, you can see bumps in places the towel touched.
Sometimes people don’t really notice the bumps or growths — they may be hard to see when there are only a few, they’re very small, and often don’t cause any problems. So some people who have molluscum contagiosum don’t know it. You usually start getting bumps anywhere from 1 week to 6 months after you get the virus.
Sometimes people don’t really notice the bumps or growths — they may be hard to see when there are only a few, they’re very small, and often don’t cause any problems. So some people who have molluscum contagiosum don’t know it. You usually start getting bumps anywhere from 1 week to 6 months after you get the virus.
Treatment
If you have molluscum contagiosum, a medical professional can remove the growths by freezing, draining, or using a laser to remove them. They can also give you a prescription for a medicinal cream that you can apply on your own.
Molluscum contagiosum will usually go away on its own, so some people choose not to treat or remove the growths. But if you don’t treat molluscum contagiosum, it usually takes 6-12 months for the bumps to clear up. During that time, you could spread the virus to other people.
Once the bumps are gone, the molluscum contagiosum virus is totally gone from your body. The virus won’t come back, but you can get bumps again if you get another molluscum contagiosum infection in the future.
If you treat your growths with medicine or have them removed by your doctor, it’s important to take good care of your skin afterward.
Molluscum contagiosum will usually go away on its own, so some people choose not to treat or remove the growths. But if you don’t treat molluscum contagiosum, it usually takes 6-12 months for the bumps to clear up. During that time, you could spread the virus to other people.
Once the bumps are gone, the molluscum contagiosum virus is totally gone from your body. The virus won’t come back, but you can get bumps again if you get another molluscum contagiosum infection in the future.
If you treat your growths with medicine or have them removed by your doctor, it’s important to take good care of your skin afterward.
- Keep the area clean. Use a different towel for drying other parts of your body after a shower or a bath.
- Don't scratch the area you got treated.
- Wash your hands after touching the area that was treated.
- Avoid having sex if it’s uncomfortable.
Resources:
https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/molluscum-contagiosum/
https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/stds-hiv-safer-sex/molluscum-contagiosum
https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/molluscum-contagiosum/
https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/stds-hiv-safer-sex/molluscum-contagiosum