- Prevalence of lice dropped from 0.41% to 0.17% between 1997 to 2003
- Clinicians believe the huge decline is a result of an increase in bikini waxing
- British Association of Dermatologists believe an episode of Sex and the City aired in 2000 sparked the waxing trend
By Suzannah Hills
Published: 14:44 EDT, 4 July 2013 | Updated: 03:53 EDT, 5 July 2013
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It has been credited with sharpening women's fashion sense and promoting the single lifestyle.
But the TV series Sex And The City has had another unexpected outcome - helping to rid the world of pubic lice.
There has been a huge decline in recent years in the number of cases of lice, with clinicians claiming that the rising popularity of Hollywood or Brazilian-style bikini waxes is the cause.
Doctors from the British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) believe they can link the lice decrease with the airing of an episode of Sex and the City in 2000 which sparked the waxing trend.
The episode shows several of the main characters - Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha - undergoing a wax where all the hair is removed.
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The pubic louse has infested humans for thousands of years, with archaeologists discovering specimens in the UK as far back as the 1st century AD.
The pubic louse evolved from its ancestor, the gorilla louse, about 3.3 million years ago and adapted to live in areas on the human body with a similar density of hair to that of the gorilla.
Unfortunately this was a costly mistake, as a mere 3.3 million years later the international success of ‘Sex and the City’ has led to an unprecedented removal of this very hair.
A UK study showed a fourfold increase in its incidence, from 0.8 per cent in 1954 to 3.2 per cent in 1964, which may have been due to increased sexual freedom.
However, from 1997 to 2003 a further UK study revealed a steep reduction in prevalence from about 0.41 per cent to 0.17 per cent.
The research due to be presented at the British Association of Dermatologists’ Annual Conference next week.
Similar observations have also been reported from sexual health specialists in Australia.
Sydney's main sexual health clinic hasn't treated a woman with pubic lice since 2008 while male cases have fallen 80 per cent from about 100 a decade ago.
A decrease in sexual activity could not have accounted for this, as the prevalence of other sexually transmitted diseases has increased.
Dr Kun Sen Chen, one of the authors of the presentation, said: 'Pubic hair removal has been practised by humans for thousands of years, by cultures from all over the world, including the Ancient Egyptians.
'However, until recently, with the rise of truly global mass media, pubic lice have been able to weather changing cultural attitudes to body hair.
'What we have seen at work is the law of unintended consequences, in popularising hair removal Carrie Bradshaw and co have contributed to ridding humanity of pest that had plagued humans for millions of years. Sadly there isn’t an Emmy for that.'
Before giving all the plaudits to the writers of ‘Sex in the City’ it’s worth considering that other factors for the decline in pubic lice numbers could include the reluctance of patients to seek medical attention leading to self-treatment with over-the-counter insecticidal treatments, therefore causing a decline in recorded numbers.
The research is due to be released at the British Association of Dermatologists’ Annual Conference in Liverpool next week.
