STIs More Likely for Those Who Trim Pubic Hair

Sexually active and worried about STIs? You might want to let your pubic hair go au naturel.

A new study led by E. Charles Osterberg, MD, an assistant professor of surgery at the University of Texas, found that people who groomed their pubic hair were 80 percent more likely to contract a sexually transmitted infection (STI) than those who preferred to let their pubic hair do its thing naturally.

In the study involving 7,580 participants, those who removed all of their pubic hair at least 12 times a year and those who reported trimming their pubic hair daily or weekly were four times as likely to contract an STI than those who never groomed down there.

It’s important to note, however, that while the study does show a correlation between pubic hair grooming and increased STIs, it does not necessarily show that pubic hair grooming in some way directly causes a person’s risk of contracting STIs to increase.

Yet the researchers say they suspect that pubic hair grooming — which often involves shaving and waxing — can cause tiny tears in the skin around the genitals, creating new places for bacteria and viruses to enter the body. Yikes!

Another possible explanation? That people who take the time to groom their pubic hair are people who are also just having more sex, says the research team on this study, and thus potentially exposed to more STIs as a result.

In the meantime, however, it seems like it certainly can’t hurt to add some Fur Oil to your Christmas list so that your pubic hair can grow and stay soft and nourished.

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