Molluscum Contagiosum and Wearing a Wetsuit. Please Help.

[degree]

So I recently started surfing and have been super stoked about learning and becoming better and future sessions, etc. etc. I'm in a really fortunate position where I can pretty much go out everyday.

Unfortunately I was just diagnosed with the above condition (in the subject), which is basically a virus that causes annoying but benign little skin growths. Mine are in my pubic region. They generally go away on their own, but it can take anywhere from two months to five years. Yikes. I am going to treat it with an immune triggering cream, but my concern is this:

The virus is caused by skin to skin contact, or by touching/sharing contaminated objects, especially things like towels, clothing and bedding.
Because you can auto-inoculate yourself with this virus (spread it around through touching affected part of your body to another), I'm worried about surfing only insofar as what to do about my wetsuit. Because I don't wash it and cannot wash it in hot water even if I wanted to (wait, can I?) I can potentially keep on reinfecting myself with it. Or not. I don't know.

I guess I was wondering if anyone on here has ever had to deal with the same or similar type of condition (warts eg), STD, etc. and what you did or didn't do about it.

I really want this to go away ASAP but I also want to keep on surfing everyday while I still have the opportunity.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

And please no childishness. If you don't have anything nice or useful to say, don't say it.

PS - I didn't even think to ask my doctor about this earlier, but I am going to ask him as well... i figure he's just going to tell me not to wear the wetsuit, which is not what i'm wanting to hear...

[tomcat360]

Hmmm that's a toughie. What about wearing a speedo or jammers underneath of it?

Asking your doctor would probably be a good start. If they tell you not to wear one......move somewhere warmer!!!

Which brings up, where are you located? Just country/ state is enough to satisfy my curiosity of how much you have to wear a wetsuit.

[billie_morini]

degree,
wash your wetsuit with the same stuff I use. It is 500psi Wetsuit/BC Wash & Conditioner. It has nonoxynol-9 in it. You don't have to use hot water. I never have. Here is a link: http://www.scuba.com/scuba-gear-166/030124/Innovative-500psi-Wetsuit-BC-Wash---Conditioner.html

Take a look at this, too: http://www.rashguardshirtco.com/page/R/CTGY/rashguardshorts This link will show you several pairs of rash guard shorts. I wear these under my wetsuit during the colder winter days. You'll hardly know you have them on, can pull your wetsuit off in public, and wash them in washing machine. You may want more than one pair. I actually wash mine in the same stuff mentioned above. And they dry fast.

[Jimi]

Umm, as above... but for a short term solution, dry your wetsuit inside out in direct sunlight. The UV in the light should help to break down the virus left on the surface of your wetsuit.

Not sure exactly how successful this will be, and it will shorten the life of your wetsuit, but it's at least a start.

[billie_morini]

Excellant suggestion, Jimi.

[degree]

Thanks guys. These are all excellent suggestions. I think I will get a couple pairs of jammers. I have a few speedo type swimsuits to start me off before I'm able to get them.

I'm in SoCal, in the Malibu area. Last time I went out I was glad I had a wetsuit on. It's just going to keep on getting colder.

I'll do the sunlight thing as well. It's okay if it shortens the life of my suit. I got an entry level less expensive suit anyhow and was planning to upgrade within a year or so if I ended up sticking with it like I plan to and getting better.

If anyone else has any extra ideas or information, please share. Given the prevalence of STDs out there these days, I'm sure that a fair number of surfers out there have had to deal with this kind of situation.

Again, I really appreciate you guys taking the time to answer.

[drowningbitbybit]

It has nonoxynol-9 in it.

The jury is still out when it comes to nonoxynol-9. It works great as a spermicidal agent, but probably does nothing against bacterial or viral infections

Indeed, nonoxynol-9 may increase viral spread, as it damages the skin (possibly. Its more of a worry where you'd normally be putting N9...)

The best stuff that you can get hold of in the high street is tea tree oil. A hippy, natural solution... but it does actually have active anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.

Get the cream to rub on your bits while you're in the wetsuit, and the neat oil to add to some warm water to wash the wetsuit after a surf. Read the label as some of the bottles are very dilute - what you want is the more-or-less neat stuff.

[Junebug]

Hi! 16 years later…Im in the same boat as you were….beginner surfer in LA but just got diagnosed with MC. Trying to nip it in the bud and dont want to do anything that would make it worse….but really want to surf.
@degree if youre still on here…
Did the board shorts work?
Did you feel like or notice that the “friction” from surfing exaggerated anything?
And lastly how long did the condition take to completely resolve?

[oldmansurfer]

Hi! 16 years later…Im in the same boat as you were….beginner surfer in LA but just got diagnosed with MC. Trying to nip it in the bud and dont want to do anything that would make it worse….but really want to surf.
@degree if youre still on here…
Did the board shorts work?
Did you feel like or notice that the “friction” from surfing exaggerated anything?
And lastly how long did the condition take to completely resolve?

The poster degree hasn't logged in to this account since 2008. If you suffer from MC you might contact a doctor about treatment. I think there are things that can be done such as cryotherapy or laser removal