mmalabanan
Do you regularly get a bikini wax or shave down there? This seemingly hygienic act may actually increase your chances of getting sexually transmitted infections (STI), according to a recent study.
Based on the findings published in the British Medical Journal’s publication Sexually Transmitted Infections, males and females who groomed their pubic hair were nearly twice as likely to report having had STI compared to non-groomers.
It was found that 17% of groomers who removed all their pubic hair were more than four times as likely to have a history of STIs compared to non-groomers.
According to the study authors, removing pubic hair can possibly tear the skin and create an entry way for bacteria and viruses.
“I wouldn’t groom aggressively right before a sexual encounter with a partner I didn’t know well, and I would avoid having sex with an open cut or wound,” said Dr. Benjamin Breyer, the study’s senior author.
But for University of California, San Francisco Professor Breyer, there are other factors that can contribute to increased STI other than pubic hair grooming. Breyer pointed out the possibility that groomers could be more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors.
“What was really missing from the paper was the aspect of sex,” she said in a phone interview. “That’s important because you’re not getting an STI from shaving or trimming your pubic hair.
