The research suggests that any type of pubic grooming increases the risk of picking up an STI by 80pc
Waxing, shaving and trimming pubic hair quadruples the risk of picking up a sexually transmitted infection (STI), new research suggests.
A new study published in the journal of Sexually Transmitted Infections suggests that those who remove all of their pubic hair are four times more likely to contract an STI.
However, the research suggests that any type of pubic grooming increases the risk of picking up an STI by 80pc, compared to those who do not groom.
Researchers in San Francisco General Hospital believe that waxing and grooming can cause small tears in the skin, which makes it more likely to transmit STIs including human papilloma virus (HPV), syphilis, gonorrhoea, Chlamydia and HIV.
The US research involved the analysis of more than 7,500 people between the ages of 18 and 65 as ‘extreme grooming’ and treatments including Hollywood waxing become more and more popular.
In Ireland, experts have seen a sharp rise in the number of people undergoing treatments to remove pubic hair, which Dr Shirley McQuade, Medical Director of the Dublin’s Well Woman Centre said can open a host of unpleasantness.
Speaking to Independent.ie she said: “Certainly we’ve seen an enormous increase in the numbers of women waxing and shaving and a large proportion of women under the age of 50 are grooming themselves in this way.
“With that, we’ve also seen an increase in the number of women who are experiencing inflammation and irritation as a result of waxing or shaving.
“There is also an issue of skin damage. If skin is irritated, broken and damaged by waxing, it might not be able to fend off infection as easy.
“In this way, viral infections have the opportunity to spread easily.
“I’ve seen HPV, genital warts, spread along the line of shaving. Another viral infection, molluscum contagiosum which is similar to chicken pox, also spreads easier along the line of waxing or shaving,” she said.
As well as irritation and inflammation, Dr. McQuade said grooming also can cause folliculitis, which can be painful.
“Hollywood waxes for the most part can cause discomfort but also can cause things like folliculitis which is an inflammation of the hair follicles which can be quite painful and often has to be treated with anti-bacterial creams. Those who shave can also be prone to ingrown hairs.
“It seems like waxing and shaving generally just causes discomfort for days or weeks afterwards so our advice would be to not do either,” she said.
The US study, lead by Dr Benjamin Breyer in San Francisco General Hospital, also found that those who undergo treatments to remove pubic hair are also likely to be more sexually active than those who don't.
“Grooming may cause epidermal micro-tears, which may increase the risk of STIs. As a second possible explanation for our findings, shared use of grooming tools may lead to STI transmission.
“As a third possible explanation for our findings, individuals who groom may be more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviours than those who do not groom. Although we adjusted our analyses for lifetime sexual partners, it is still possible that our findings may have been confounded by risky sexual behaviours.”
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