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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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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

How it works

How this assessment works

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Private by design

    It runs in your browser. We never ask for your name, email, or anything that identifies you.

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

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.

Screening guidance

Who should get tested for molluscum contagiosum?

Testing for molluscum contagiosum is guided by symptoms, a known exposure, or a partner's diagnosis rather than routine screening, you test when you have a reason to.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.
Full molluscum contagiosum testing guide: cost, treatment & where to test

Stats & rates

Molluscum contagiosum in the United States

6–18 months
typical time for molluscum to resolve without treatment in healthy adults

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 →

7 Sources

Clinical guidance

Data & references

Good to Know

Molluscum contagiosum FAQs

What people ask most before testing for molluscum contagiosum.

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.

Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.

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