Hair Loss from STDs?

Hello doctor. I have a question concerning STDs (venerial disease) and hair loss. I hope this question does not sound absurd, but I am really unfamiliar with the connection between STDs and hair loss. Are there any STDs that can trigger or cause hair loss in a male?

Also, can herpes/crabs be passed onto the hair on your head? For example, if someone were to touch their vagina and then run her fingers through your hair, is it possible for someone to get an STD this way?

Again, I am sorry if this seems really absurd as I am not familiar with the possibilities of the transmission of STDs. Thank you very much.

Don’t they teach sexual education in high school? You will not get a sexually transmitted disease (STD) if you touch a vagina and then touch your head… perhaps unless you have a bleeding, open wound on your scalp. And even then it’s quite a stretch.

Syphilis can cause patchy hair loss in later stages, but by then you’re probably also going to experience several other warning signs. There’s no STD that causes male pattern baldness, though. Pubic lice (also known as crabs — see image at right) and herpes won’t cause hair loss.

If you think you might have an STD, I would think balding is the last thing you should worry about. Get yourself to a doctor!