Women who engage in extremist " landscaping " by removing all of their pubic hair are no more likely to contract sexually - transport disease ( STDs ) than those who go for the rude look , accord to a new cogitation in the journalPLOS ONE . In luminance of these findings , previous advice suggest that keep things minimum down below , particularly touch in " utmost " grooming like Hollywood or Brazilian waxes , increase the risk of catch chlamydiaand other STDs has been call into question .
Suggestions regarding the dangers of ditching the bush started to spread in 2013 , when data from a French STD clinic demonstrate that 93 percent of patient role with a sexually - conduct molluscum contagiosum viruspracticed some degree of pubic trimming . A few eld afterwards , theBritish Medical Journalpublished solution of a globose online sketch that appeared to indicate a correlation between the level of pubic hairsbreadth remotion and the likeliness of catching an STD . It was wide reported on in the medium though many fail to point out it showed correlation butnot causation .
To inquire the lustiness of these claims , researchers from Ohio State University asked 214 female college students about their pubic intro preference so as to see if they could happen a link between “ extreme grooming ” and the likeliness of testing positive forchlamydiaorgonorrhea .
Extreme grooming is limit as the removal of all pubic hair’s-breadth at least once a calendar week over the past year , or at least six clock time over the past month . Just over 98 percent of cogitation participants reported some level of haircloth removal , with 53.6 per centum being classified as uttermost groomers over the retiring twelvemonth and 18 percent hire in utmost grooming in the past month .
Just under one in 10 test positive for either chlamydia or gonorrhoea , yet no link was find between utmost grooming and the prevalence of either of these infections .
Lead author Jamie Luster said was unsurprised by the results because there was no clear biologic reason to consider waxing or shaving would lead to increase danger of STDs .
" Previous inquiry take participant if they ’d ever had a sexually transmit infection , but did n’t valuate whether they had one at the prison term of survey . That do tie in any current grooming habit to STDs difficult , " shesaid .
limitation of the former BMJ study also included not considering outdoor factors such as cleaning lady removing pubic hair after being diagnosed with an venereal infection , or taking into circumstance the telephone number of sexual partner as a marker for intimate behavior but failing to assess participants ' safe sex practice . It did suggest that hide breakage have by paring and waxing could be part creditworthy .
Both chlamydia and gonorrhea are bacterial infection that can taint the genitals , rectum , or throat , and can be contracted by make unprotected vaginal , unwritten , or anal retentive sexual activity with someone who carries the infection .
It goes without say that the best way to protect yourself from these and other infections is to always apply protection , or to stick to one sexual partner who has tested disconfirming for all STDs .
However , near two - third gear of participant in this latest bailiwick describe having experienced some kind of grooming harm , with the median person having been wound on five disjoined occasions during their lifetime . So , even if uttermost preparation does n’t take to more sexual infections , it sure enough is n’t without its hazards .
