My rogue is a very promiscuous individual. The paladin in the party is attempting to cure him of his STDs through a nightly application of Lay on Hands.
Would the Lay on Hands feature cure pubic lice?
I have read the description of Lay on Hands, and RAW it cures diseases and poison; however, I am conflicted on whether you could consider pubic lice a disease.
Many types of internal parasite, including the egg of the red slaad and the worm of the spawn of kyuss, are explicitly described as being killed by any effect that removes disease.
However, pubic lice are homebrew and we don't know if they follow the same rules as the parasites listed above. You'll have to ask your DM.
You know how in D&D, the "solar system" is surrounded by Crystal Spheres immersed in phlogiston?
It seems that what we consider naive medieval scientific "theory" is, in the D&D world, true. Before the invention of microscopes and the development of germ theory, people probably made no distinction between parasites and diseases. So in D&D, maybe there is no distinction.
Alternatively: Germs are just tiny bugs that live in you. If Cure Disease can get rid of them, why not lice as well?
In the Dungeon Master's Guide (pages 256-257) there is not any game term defining disease; there is a summary explanation and few examples that reflect everyday experiences in the real world.
From a real world point of view, an infestation of parasites could induce a disease, but the infestation itself is not a disease. Anyway, the terminology is not completely clear (see here1 for example), but strictly speaking such kind of parasites may induce diseases, but they are not the disease (see this abstract from a scientific publication).
As an example of Rule 0, the DM can decide that what better suits their campaign, the tone of the party and, mainly, what is more fun for the table.
For example, they may decide that the faith of the Paladin is so strong that they can purify all the consequences of the sinful acts of their companions, such as STDs.
In my personal opinion, this could lead to really interesting role play between the group, for example if the Paladin and the Rogue have opposite views about "tavern adventuring time" or even if they are on the same page.
1 Credits to Kirt that pointed this out in the comments.
According to the CDC, pubic lice are not and do not carry disease. The pruritus (itchy skin) they cause is possibly a disease.
Internal parasites like cryptosperidium or intestinal worms probably are a disease.
