Is molluscum contagious?
Last updated September 3, 2026.
Yes - the name is literal: you catch it by touching the sores or objects that touched them, mostly in kids 1 to 10. In adults it more often arrives through contact sports or sexual contact. The bumps spread across your own body by scratching, so cover them and keep hands off. The reassuring CDC fact: they typically go away on their own in six months to a year and usually leave no scars - watchful waiting is legitimate for healthy kids.
What to do
- Cover the bumps. Clothing or a bandage blocks both self-spread and passing it on.
- Stop the sharing. Own towels, own pool gear, and no shared baths during the outbreak.
- Hands off. Scratching seeds new crops of bumps.
- See a doctor for the exceptions. Genital lesions, facial bumps, or any case with immune suppression.
Related questions
- Is scabies contagious?
- Is impetigo contagious?
- Is ringworm contagious?
- Is a yeast infection contagious?