Don’t Go Bare, Leave Some Hair! Pubic Hair Grooming Linked To Increased STD Risk

Going bare or getting Brazilians down there could be exposing people to sexually transmitted disease (STD) risks according to a new study.

According to BBC, people who trim, wax or shave their pubic hair have an increased risk of getting STDS. However, they are less likely to get lice.

The study, which included a survey of more than 7,500 Americans in the age group of 18 to 65, found that people who groomed the hair in their nether regions were at an 80 percent higher risk of getting STDS than people who kept the area hairy. The risk of certain infections like chlamydia and herpes was higher among those who groomed their pubic hair more frequently and intensely. The Japan Times, however, reported that the study only observes the relationship between grooming and STDs, and there is no conclusion that one causes the other.

According to the study, waxing or shaving in the genital area can cause microtears in the skin that make it easier for viruses to enter the body. "As a third possible explanation for our findings, individuals who groom may be more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors than those who do not groom," said the study published in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections. The authors also suggested that there is a correlation between pubic hair grooming and a higher number of lifetime sexual partners because the former is usually a preparatory act for sex.

The survey results showed that 74 percent of the 7,580 people who answered the questionnaire were pubic hair groomers, and the majority of the groomers belonged to the younger age bracket. The study also found that those who groomed were more frequently sexually active than those who did not groom the nether hair.

On the other end of the spectrum, the team found that low-intensity groomers had a higher risk of pubic lice infestation. The study has advised people to groom their pubic hair less frequently, or delay engaging in sexual practices so that the skin can heal after a session of waxing or shaving.