Shaving Pubic Hair Has Been Linked To Having STIs, Survey Finds

Everyone has their own personal style. The way they like to dress, the music they listen to, the way they do their makeup and hair, and even the way they choose to take care of their down there (I made a little rhyme, did you like that?). Know what I mean? At least, I have always found that was the case. 

But it turns out a group of researchers have been looking into the situation and have found some interesting results. 

Should I be canceling my next wax? 

Let's see what's up with the situation down below. 

A recent study conducted about our...personal grooming habits has made an interesting discovery.

We know that many Americans have tended to their hair down there at least once or twice in their lifetime, and some people do it quite regularly. 

In fact, of the 7,580 people who completed the survey, 66% of men and 84% of women said they groomed their nethers by shaving, waxing, trimming and even laser hair removal. 

According to the data presented by Sexually Transmitted Infections,the journal that published the survey...

...peoplewho groom their down-there hair tend to be younger, more sexually active, and, on average, have more sexual partners than those who do not consider themselves groomers. 

They were also more likely to report that they'd had an STI at some point in their life, including herpes, HPV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia or HIV.

Even when the researchers made some changes to the factors involved...

...that may influence the situation, such as age and the number of sexual partners, the link still remained that the more people groomed their downstairs, the stronger their association to STIs.

In fact, people who groomed daily or weekly were 3.5 to 4 times more likely to report a past STI. 

But let's be clear about something here. 

The data does not imply that shaving, waxing, trimming and so on will necessarily increase your chances of getting an STI. 

Instead, what this data is showing is a cultural cross section that can't answer which came first, the grooming or the infection.

It is also important to consider the data and how it was collected. 

Those who participated in the study were not required to show medical proof of any STIs, and who among us has not lied about our sexual history at some point? If the lead researcher of the study, Dr. Charles Osterberg, is keeping these things in mind, it would be best we do the same. 

The medical study that was used is the largestone yet to look at this kind of grooming. 

It does raise some interesting questions about the link. One thought behind the connection could be that frequent grooming creates microtears in the area that allow bacterial and viral STIs to get into the skin easier. 

It was also suggested by the researchers that those who groom may engage in more risky sex. Osterberg says, “If a clinician were to see evidence of grooming upon physical examination, perhaps that physician should inquire about safer sex practices or a sexual history.” 

One thing we do know for certain is that much more research needs to go into the link between personal grooming and STIs. 

Osterberg pointed out, “Modern society has dictated our perception of genital normalcy, and what it means to feel attractive or feminine or masculine has changed. This study sheds some light on a potential complication associated with the increasingly common practice of grooming.”


But let's not forget that some people just prefer it, even if they are the only ones seeing it. 

Well, what do you think?

I personally have some mixed feelings about the research. I would love to know what your thoughts are! Tell me what you think in the COMMENTSand SHARE to get some more ideas. 

h/t Time