I was mortified when I had to tell my boyfriend I had scabies – it was worse than admitting to chlamydia
A WOMAN who contracted scabies was so embarrassed to tell her boyfriend that she said it would be easier to admit to having chlamydia.
Lia ended up getting scabies last year at university, but there's currently a "nightmare" surge in the amount of cases being reported in the UK.
Scabies is a highly contagious skin condition caused by an infestation of tiny mites, and causes incredibly itchy skin, especially at night, and raised rashes.
While Lia is now free of the condition, she was mortified when she and her housemate got it - and struggled with embarrassment when it came to telling her other half.
"I had to tell my boyfriend I gave him scabies and it was worse than telling him I had chlamydia," Lia began her TikTok video.
"Like, I don't have chlamydia, but if I had chlamydia, it would better than having scabies, you know?"
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After she and her housemate were the first to get scabies, half their house ended up getting them as part of what Lia called an "epidemic" at her university.
"I went to the pharmacy today, to get some cream, and then there was like, three girls ahead of me who looked like uni students and I was so embarrassed," she continued.
"I was wandering around the shop trying to wait for them to leave."
When she finally got to the front of the line and asked, under her breath, for scabies cream, the sales assistant told her that the "three girls over there also have scabies", and informed her that she would have to "wait for them to be finished".
People were quick to comment on Lia's video, with one writing: "Scabies? I haven’t heard that in years…"
"Scabies seems like such an old thing to get where does it even come from???" another added.
"I got scabies first yr of uni," a third admitted.
"Very common in shared accommodation.
"When they say cover every square inch of skin with the cream, they mean it."
"Omgggg in Cornwall we’ve had so many people get scabies," someone else wrote.
"Worst fear honestly!"
"Literally EVERYONE I know is suffering with scabies atm," another said.
"There’s a scabies epidemic!" someone else said.
"I can confirm! I work in a pharmacy and the amount of scabies cream we give out it’s crazy."
Scabies spreads quickly through close skin contact and at the moment it is treated by permethrin or malathion.
However, the UK is facing supply problems to ship these drugs in after both the Ukraine war and rise in costs.
As reported by the Guardian, dermatologists and GPs are now scrambling for the medication as areas in the north of England saw a concerning double in reported scabies cases in November.
The shortage has led to some patients forking out for expensive alternatives for "inflated prices" online.
And Lia revealed in another video on TikTok that there was such a shortage, someone was trying to sell some of the sought-after cream for £40 for one tube.
"I can't believe this is real life," she said.
"Someone from Cardiff uni has posted on their Facebook saying, got a spare scabies cream."
What makes things even worse is that in Wales, where Lia lives, you can get prescriptions for free under the age of 25.
"So me and all my housemates got it for free," she added.
"We got loads for free.
"And he's tryna make profit. £40!
"The struggle is getting real, guys.
"Be careful out there.
"If you feel yourself itching and you don't have eczema and it's a bit bumpy, so, you know, especially if it's in between your toes.
"TMI, but, yeah, mites love the toes and the fingers."
"Pharmacist here. It’s out of hand. And out of stock," one person commented on that video.
As another added: "£40 is worth it to treat scabies!"
"I’m actually scared," a third wrote.
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"It was the worst 4 months of my life," someone else said.
"It is SO hard to get rid of and because there’s a massive shortage i had to spend £100 on pharmacy4u."
