I’ve heard a number of conflicting things on this topic; is removing or waxing all pubic hair entirely from the vagina healthy, unhealthy, or something in between?

— Marie

Short take

Removing pubic hair is a cosmetic choice that may have health consequences for some women.

Tell me more

Before we get started we need to get one fact straight — pubic hair is on your vulva (the outside, where your clothes touch your skin) not your vagina, which is internal or at the vaginal opening (think of the places you touch when reaching inside for a rogue tampon).

Pubic hair serves several biological purposes. It is a physical barrier protecting the skin; it traps discharge, dirt and debris; it also traps moisture, helping the vulvar skin maintain a higher moisture content relative to skin elsewhere on your body. As each pubic hair is attached to a nerve, tugging during sex may also increase sexual stimulation. Pubic hair may also have a role in dispersal of normal odors.

Pubic hair removal is common — approximately 80 percent of women ages 18 to 65 report they remove some or all of their pubic hair.