PUBLICDOMAIN, LYNN GREYLING Shaving, trimming, or otherwise grooming pubic hair may be associated with an increased risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), according to a December 5 study of more than 7,500 American men and women, published in Sexually Transmitted Infections. The study, although observational in nature, suggests a potential link between frequent, intense pubic hair grooming and increased exposure to a host of STIs.

“Such a relation is plausible because the act of grooming with razors or shavers causes epidermal microtears, which may permit epithelial penetrance by bacterial or viral STIs,” E. Charles Osterberg of the University of Texas and colleagues wrote in their study. “Irrespective of the underlying mechanism—whether a causal relation or statistical association—understanding the possible link between pubic hair grooming and STI acquisition could be useful for developing strategies to reduce STI rates.”

Osterberg and colleagues surveyed 7,580 men and women, 74 percent of whom...