Today’s podcast episode is all about vaginal health, and misconceptions that circulate. We had the pleasure of welcoming Dr. Jennifer Lincoln (OB/GYN, author, educator, and science communicator extraordinaire) to help us tackle vaginal health myths! Make sure to tune in here if you haven’t yet!
One thing we discussed was: pubic hair. And yes, pubic hair does indeed serve a purpose.
There are lots of cultural norms and personal preferences when it comes to pubic hair grooming, but rest assured that if you decide to let it grow, pubic hair is not unhygienic! Just like our other body parts, we simply have to clean it on a regular basis.
From an evolutionary and scientific standpoint, pubic hair can help to reduce friction during sex, prevent bacteria and other microorganisms from being transmitted to others (there's some evidence that extreme grooming of pubic hair might actually increase your risk of STI), and helps to maintain optimal temperature for the genitals. But if you decide to groom for your own personal preference, that’s cool too! We offer some tips to make sure it’s safe.
Regarding increased risk of STI related to grooming, a probability survey of US residents aged 18–65 years was conducted among 7500 adults.
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