Free risk assessment
Do I have molluscum contagiosum?
Molluscum contagiosum is a common, usually harmless skin virus that causes small firm bumps and often clears on its own. Answer a few questions about your symptoms and risk factors to see how concerned to be and what to do next. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.
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Medically reviewed by Mark Riegel, MD · Updated June 2026
- Hallmark sign
- Central dimple
- firm, flesh-colored, 2–5 mm dome-shaped papule with central umbilication (a tiny pit) and a waxy, cheesy core
- Self-resolves in healthy adults
- 6–18 months
- individual lesions last ~2 months; new ones may appear as others resolve; can take up to 24 months
- Incubation
- 2–7 weeks
- can be silent for up to 6 months before bumps appear; person is contagious during this window
- New FDA-approved treatments
- 2 topicals
- Ycanth (0.7% cantharidin) approved 2023 · Zelsuvmi (berdazimer 10.3% gel) approved 2024
Many infections are silent. A low result here doesn't rule molluscum contagiosum out. If you've had a new partner or any concern, testing is the only way to be sure.
About molluscum contagiosum
What is molluscum contagiosum?
Spotted a cluster of small, firm, dimpled bumps and wondering what they are? Molluscum contagiosum is a likely candidate. It's a harmless skin virus that leaves tiny dome-shaped papules — each with a telltale little pit in the centre — and it's far more of a nuisance than a danger. Left alone, a healthy immune system usually clears it within several months to a year and a half.
Where it sits on your skin matters. In children it spreads through everyday contact and isn't sexual at all; in adults, bumps clustered on the genitals, groin, or inner thighs are usually picked up through skin-to-skin contact during sex. Because new genital bumps can also be herpes, warts, or something else entirely, this check is a starting point — a clinician confirms it at a glance, no lab test required.
2 in 100
people who have it notice no symptoms — and can still pass it on
Screening guidance
Who should get tested for molluscum contagiosum?
Because molluscum contagiosum is often silent, the CDC recommends routine screening for the groups most likely to have it — not just people with symptoms.
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1
You have clusters of small, dimpled bumps
Firm, pearly papules with a central pit are the signature — but a clinician's eye rules out warts, herpes, or syphilis, which need very different care.
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2
A recent partner has molluscum or unexplained bumps
It passes easily through skin contact, so partners are worth a look — catching it early limits the spread before new bumps appear.
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3
You have eczema or a weakened immune system
A broken skin barrier lets the virus take hold more easily, and weakened immunity can let bumps multiply widely — both are reasons to get seen sooner.
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4
You're not sure what a new skin bump is
Genital bumps are never a safe guess. A clinician identifies molluscum on sight in the same visit, so you avoid picking at something that could be more serious.
Timing
When a molluscum contagiosum test is reliable
There's no blood test or swab for molluscum — it's diagnosed by looking. A clinician recognises the dimpled bumps by eye, usually in seconds, so the right move is simply to get checked once you notice them rather than waiting out any 'window'. Bumps can take 2–7 weeks (sometimes longer) to appear after contact, so new ones may show up well after the exposure.
Because diagnosis is visual, a same-day clinic visit is appropriate the moment bumps appear — there's nothing to wait for.
U.S. data
Molluscum contagiosum in the United States
- 6–18 months
- typical time for molluscum to resolve without treatment in healthy adults
Good to Know
Molluscum contagiosum questions
Common questions about molluscum contagiosum and molluscum contagiosum testing, answered.
What does molluscum look like?
Small (1–5 mm), firm, dome-shaped bumps that are flesh-colored or pearly, each with a tiny central dimple. They're usually painless and may appear in clusters on the genitals, lower abdomen, or inner thighs.
Is molluscum an STD?
It's a skin virus, not a classic STI, but in adults it commonly spreads through sexual skin-to-skin contact, so it's grouped with genital conditions. It can also spread by sharing towels or by scratching and touching another area.
How is molluscum different from genital warts?
Molluscum bumps are smooth and dome-shaped with a central pit; warts are rougher and often cauliflower-like with no dimple. If you're not sure, a clinician can tell them apart at a glance.
Does molluscum go away on its own?
Yes — in people with a healthy immune system it usually clears within 6–12 months without treatment. A clinician can remove the bumps (freezing, scraping, or creams) to speed things up or reduce spread.
Should I see a clinician?
It's worth confirming the diagnosis, especially in the genital area, and a clinician can offer removal. Widespread or unusually large lesions can occasionally signal a weakened immune system and should be checked.
Trust & transparency
How this assessment works
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Grounded in public-health guidance
The questions — and how heavily each answer counts — follow the risk factors and symptoms the CDC and WHO describe for Molluscum.
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A risk guide, not a diagnosis
Your answers produce a risk level — how concerned to be — and flag anything that needs urgent care. Only a lab test can confirm or rule out an infection.
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Private by design
It runs in your browser. We never ask for your name, email, or anything that identifies you.
Medically reviewed · Updated
Reviewed by Mark Riegel, MD · Sexual Health Physician · Chief Medical Reviewer
Physician focused on sexual health — STI testing, treatment and prevention — and EasySTD's chief medical reviewer. Owns the condition guides and is the clinical backstop for any page without a more specific specialist. Our editorial guidelines →
Sources & references
7 Sources
Clinical guidance
- CDC — Molluscum Contagiosum https://www.cdc.gov/molluscum/index.html
- CDC — STI Treatment Guidelines 2021 https://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment-guidelines/
- American Academy of Dermatology — Molluscum Contagiosum Overview https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/a-z/molluscum-contagiosum-overview
- FDA — Ycanth (cantharidin 0.7%) Approval 2023 https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-approvals-and-databases/drug-trials-snapshots-ycanth
- FDA — Zelsuvmi (berdazimer gel 10.3%) Approval 2024 https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-approvals-and-databases/drug-trials-snapshots-zelsuvmi
Data & references
- DermNet NZ — Molluscum Contagiosum https://dermnetnz.org/topics/molluscum-contagiosum
- MedlinePlus — Molluscum Contagiosum https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000826.htm
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