Shaving your “Black Forest” increases the risk of STIs – Study.
A recent survey has revealed that people who shave, wax or trim their pubic hair are
at higher risk of sexually-transmitted infections (STIs), but less likely to
get lice.
The research done to
more than 7,500 Americans aged 18 to 65 showed that pubic groomers had an 80% higher
STI risk than people who leave their nether regions hairy. The researchers
determined that those who frequently groom their privates can be at least three
times more vulnerable toward being infected with HPV, syphilis, herpes,
gonorrhea, chlamydia and HIV.
About two-thirds of the
men interviewed and more than 80% of the women said they had done some “manscaping” or
tended their “lady garden” at least once before. And a little more
than 10% said they were "extreme groomers," who like to keep things
completely hairless.
Over time, people have taken up the custom of removing their
pubic hair, mainly influenced by the media, because of the perception created
by what they see in movies and social networks as attractive, clean, masculine/feminine,
which has led to new standards of what is perceived as “sexy.”
Pubic hair grooming has also been linked to an increased
number of sexual partners, as people that frequently groom their pubes tend to
expect to have sexual relationships in the near future.
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Respondents who groomed most frequently—daily or weekly—were more than three times more likely to report an infection than those who groomed only occasionally.
Respondents who groomed most frequently—daily or weekly—were more than three times more likely to report an infection than those who groomed only occasionally.
And those defined as “extreme groomers”—those who removed
all their pubic hair more than 11 times per year—were more than 4 times as likely
to say they had a sexually transmitted disease.
It may just be that guys who “mowed the lawn” more often
also have higher levels of sexual activity, which can set you up for more STI
exposure, says lead researcher Benjamin Breyer, M.D. of San Francisco General Hospital.
It’s also possible that grooming can cause tiny skin tears,
which make it easier for bacteria and viruses to get into your system.
“Pubic hair is there for a reason,” says Jennifer
Gunter, an OB-GYN at Kaiser Permanente Northern California who wasn't involved
in the study. “It's a mechanical
barrier, like your eyebrows. It traps bacteria and debris. And there could be
health consequences to removing it.”
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