Molluscum Contagiosum

[BlueChick]

I had weird bumps on my thighs, I thought they were just because I was big, but I decided to go to the doctor and get them checked out. I went to a planned parenthood and she said she thinks its Molluscum Contagiosum and that she would give me some information on it. The bumps are raised fleshly bumps, but not itchy or painful. She gave me some information to read and then when I got home i read th einformation and it says that I could have gotten some medication for it, but she didnt give me any. Does anyone know anything about this disease? The information I have say its spread through skin contact, the bumps come and go away on their own.....any help is appreciated!

[Suzan]

Well, I visited my Gynaecologist today for my results of my LEEP. I have HPV - so, naturally, when I found some where my Pubic Hair grows - I thought they were warts. I have tried a few different thigs to get rid of them - then a few weeks ago, I tried Tea Tree Oil. It was working very well, but when I had my operation, the DR cut 2 of them out (Biopsy) and now the results have come back as this. I have not looked it up yet - but I will get back to you on a treatment. Try Tea Tree Oil anyway - it can't hurt - it is pure and natural.
I am actually releived that this is what it is.

[SethT]

Hi Bluechick. Please do not worry at all. I have also dealt with molluscum and made way too big a deal out of it. Take my advice, from experience, this is really nothing.

I got molluscum two years ago. It started out as a small rash on my stomach area, which I scratched, as I thought they were spider bites. Big mistake! After a while I noticed the bumps were spreading, roughly in a straight line in the area I had scratched, so I went to the doctor. He diagnosed them as molluscum contagiosum, which he described to me as a very harmless, viral skin infection that goes away by itself within a few months. However, he did treat it with liquid nitrogen to make them go away faster.

If you want, you can go to your doctor or to a clinic (not Planned Parenthood, they aren't equipped to deal with this, which is really more of a dermatological condition than an STD). Your doctor will treat the bumps with some type of caustic agent, either liquid nitrogen or trichloricetic acid. Something to destroy the lesions. It will sting a little, but the bumps will go away within weeks rather than months, so it might be worth the trouble to you.

The important thing is do not, repeat DO NOT, scratch or pick or try to pop the bumps, and do NOT rub anything on them. Not Tea Oil (or whatever), not rubbing alcohol, nothing. The way that molluscum spreads is from one lesion to another. So if you scratch one of the bumps too much, the virus from the one bump will spread to the area you scratched onto.

But please keep in mind, this is really NOTHING. You can get molluscum from sexual contact, true, but you can also get it from any number of things. Dirty swimming pools, gyms, locker rooms, etc. It's an annoying rash that makes you feel insecure about how it looks, but it is NOT serious. It goes away by itself. Just relax :-)