Why it is especially hard here
Molluscum is a taboo subject in general. In the genital area, it quickly becomes something you don’t want to tell anyone about. I know the feeling of shame and uncertainty very well from my own time with molluscum.
During that time I read a lot in forums. On this subject in particular, I found a lot of fear there and few sources. That is why I stick here to health portals, guidelines and specialist sites, which I link to below.
This article is not a guide and does not replace an examination. I pass on what I read in reputable sources and link to them so that you can read them yourself.
Why molluscum often appears in the genital area in adults
The German pharmacy magazine Apotheken Umschau writes that adults often catch it through close skin contact, including during sex. That is why molluscum in adults is particularly common in the genital area or on the lower abdomen.
The Mayo Clinic also names sexual contact as one way adults can catch it.
What I found important: it is not the only way. Close skin contact, shared towels, or scratching and shaving on your own body are also named. So a diagnosis says nothing about how, or from whom, you caught it.
Why the sources mention getting checked
The NHS explicitly names spots on the genitals as a reason to get medical advice.
On top of that, other skin changes that look similar at first glance can also appear in the genital area. Whether it is molluscum at all can only be judged by a doctor. I write more about this in the article Molluscum or something else?.
How the diagnosis is described
The American Academy of Dermatology writes that dermatologists can often recognise molluscum just by looking at it. Sometimes a small skin sample is also examined under a microscope. gesund.bund.de gives an overview in German.
The AAD also names genital molluscum as one of the situations in which treatment may be recommended. Whether and how is a medical decision. I am only passing this on.
While reading, it helped me to know that an examination like this is nothing unusual for a practice. I write more about going to a doctor in the article Seeing a doctor about molluscum.
What the sources say about intimacy and everyday life
In the Scottish leaflet I also read that it advises not sharing towels and bedding, not squeezing the spots, and not shaving or waxing the area. I write more about this in the article Molluscum and shaving.
I am only passing this on. What it means for a particular relationship is a very personal question that I can’t answer for anyone.
How long it can take
The Scottish leaflet describes that genital molluscum usually goes away without treatment too, but that this can take 6 to 18 months. In the British sexual health guideline I read that further medical investigation is described when there are unusually many or unusually large spots. It also says that molluscum can be more pronounced and more persistent in people with a severely weakened immune system.
Shame and silence
I know what it feels like to want to hide something. During my time with molluscum, I had less contact with other people and hardly talked to anyone about it.
I also know the worry about infecting someone and the feeling of not wanting to show yourself. I write about intimacy and withdrawal in the article Molluscum and intimacy.
While reading, a more factual picture emerged for me. Molluscum is a common, usually harmless skin infection. The fact that there are dedicated sexual health guidelines on it shows me that nobody is the first to face this. I write more about how I dealt with the shame in the article Molluscum and shame.
After two years it was over for me. Was it coincidence? I don’t know. How it came about, I tell in my story.