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The Pubic Hair Dilemma Part I: To Trim or Not to Trim?

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Why can't we just rewind to the 70's? It seems like everything was a lot simpler back then when it came to women's sexual health and standards of beauty. Those were the days when women could strut around in "fur bikinis," as Holly Madison would say, and still feel sexy and irresistible.

However, things have changed. According to a recent survey done by Harris Interactive for the Vagisil Women's Health Center, 25% of women report that they closely trim their pubic hair with scissors or clippers. In addition, 23% report shaving some of it off. This has given rise to an entire trend in which women shave their pubic hair into various shapes and sizes.

From a health standpoint, the practice of shaving pubic hair is not exactly recommended. In fact, the medical professional supervising Vagisil's study actually advises against it. Dr. Adelaide Nardone, M.D., FACOG is a clinical instructor of Ob/Gyn at the Brown University School of Medicine, and she is quoted as saying that "Women should be aware that hair removal in the genital area can make it more susceptible to irritation, trauma and infection." Yikes!

So if it's not healthy, why do we do it? Well, for the same reasons that women do a lot of things. To feel clean and well-groomed. To help minimize vaginal odor. Some women prefer it for aesthetic reasons, and some women believe that their partners prefer it. The list goes on and on.

The point is that the argument can go either way. Personally, I started shaving because I thought that's what my boyfriend wanted. Then, when I broke up with him, I kept doing it because I liked it. Every woman makes her first choice based on how she perceives shaving, and then makes her second choice based on how comfortable and enjoyable the first experience was. So, to trim or not to trim? It's all up to you, girl.

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Shaina Monfils is a feminist and freelance writer living in Iowa. View more of her writing at http://www.toasterbyte.com.

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Anonymous (reply to Anonymous)

Haha.. yea hair is sexy but unfortunately big business running the show

June 24, 2009 - 3:28pm

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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.

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