Is it safe to get my freak on after they froze my MC?

December 28, 2012 6:43 PM

Is my molluscum contagiosum still contagious after cryotherapy?

I've had a few treatments before and the affected areas blister and then flake off. I'm just wondering if the freezing itself kills the virus, or if it's the skin's reaction to the trauma which makes the substrate unviable.

The reason I'm asking is that I was treated for all visible areas of infection 1 week ago and I want to know whether I should avoid intimate contact until the areas are completely healed. Or at least, I want to be able to fully inform a parter about the risks. If it makes any difference, the affected areas are the thighs and stomach, not genitals.

posted by anonymous to Health & Fitness (2 answers total)

The virus is in the skin lesions, so if they are successfully removed with cryotherapy then the virus is not there anymore. From what I understand, though, recurrence is a common thing, and people often need to be re-treated. I would tell your partner that the risk is fairly low but that if they want to be certain, they should avoid contact for another few weeks to ensure the infection isn't coming back.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 7:41 PM on December 28, 2012

Not a doctor. Apparently adults only get it when they are immunocompromised so a healthy adult should not get it from you.
posted by vegartanipla at 8:19 AM on December 29, 2012