Report Most Women Prefer to Go Bare, Citing Hygiene (and Baffling Doctors)

[tom_mai78101]

For years, gynecologists have had a bird’s-eye view on a phenomenon that is now so popular as to be almost commonplace: female genitalia, bereft of hair.

Sometimes called “grooming,” the practice of shearing off pubic hair — parodied on “Saturday Night Live,” celebrated as a girl-bonding ritual by various “Real Housewives” — has prompted sexual health experts to ask what motivates women to do it.

A new study published in the journal JAMA Dermatology on Wednesday confirmed just how widespread the practice is. Sixty-two percent of a nationally representative sample of 3,316 women said they opted for complete removal of their pubic hair; 84 percent reported some grooming.

But while previous research showed that women groom to facilitate sexual activity, this survey found the overwhelming majority said they did so for hygiene.

That perception troubled researchers. “Many women think they are dirty and unclean if they haven’t groomed,” said Dr. Tami S. Rowen, an obstetrician-gynecologist and the lead author of the study.

The study found that the practice crossed all ages and races. But the women most inclined to groom are younger, between the ages of 18 and 34. They were more likely to be white, with at least some college education. The researchers did not find associations between grooming and income or marital status.

Read more here. (New York Times)

For clarity, I'm only copying what was written from NYT.

Actual facts are given here:

This study is being incorrectly reported by the New York Times, many other websites, and my own title as saying that 62% of women remove all pubic hair. The statistic should actually read62% of women reported removing all pubic hair at some point during their lives (relevant data). The 84% statistic pertaining to regular pubic hair grooming still applies.

TL;DR; A survey from a nationally-representative group of women found that 83.8% of respondents reported regular grooming of pubic hair and 62% reported complete removal of pubic hair at some point during their lives. Age was a significant factor with younger women (18-24) more likely to groom than older women (45+). Women with some college or bachelor's degrees were more likely to groom. Race was also associated with grooming, with white women significantly more likely to groom than all other groups. No association was found between grooming and income, relationship status, or geographic location.

59% of groomers said they did so for hygienic/cleanliness reasons despite there being no evidence that it is healthier or better from a medical standpoint. Women who groomed had twice the mean number of lifetime partners as those who did not, were significantly more likely to have regular sexual activity, and engage in active and receptive oral sex.