Anna Wald, MD, MPH reviewing Rowen TS et al. JAMA Dermatol 2016 Jun 29.

Predominant reasons why U.S. women remove their pubic hair.

Pubic hair removal is increasingly common among U.S. women but carries risk for injury. To assess the prevalence of and reasons for this practice, investigators surveyed a nationally representative sample of 3316 U.S. women.

Some 84% of respondents said they had removed some or all pubic hair at least once in their lives; such women were more likely to be younger, white, and better educated. Specific grooming habits varied, with 62% reporting having removed all pubic hair at least once. The most commonly cited reasons for hair removal were hygiene (59%) and appearance (32%); 56% removed hair in preparation for sex, and 40% before visits with their clinicians. Almost half of women who pursued this activity stated that their partner also did so.

CITATION(S):

Rowen TS et al. Pubic hair grooming prevalence and motivation among women in the United States. JAMA Dermatol 2016 Jun 29; [e-pub].

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