title: Correlation between pubic hair grooming and STIs: results from a nationally representative probability sample.
abstract: STIs are the most common infections among adults. Concurrently, pubic hair grooming is prevalent. Small-scale studies have demonstrated a relationship between pubic hair grooming and STIs. We aim to examine this relationship in a large sample of men and women.
  
  
  
  We conducted a probability survey of US residents aged 18-65 years. The survey ascertained self-reported pubic hair grooming practices, sexual behaviours and STI history. We defined extreme grooming as removal of all pubic hair more than 11 times per year and high-frequency grooming as daily/weekly trimming. Cutaneous STIs included herpes, human papillomavirus, syphilis and molluscum. Secretory STIs included gonorrhoea, chlamydia and HIV. We analysed lice separately.
  
  
  
  Of 7580 respondents who completed the survey, 74% reported grooming their pubic hair, 66% of men and 84% of women. After adjusting for age and lifetime sexual partners, ever having groomed was positively associated with a history of self-reported STIs (OR 1.8; 95% CI 1.4 to 2.2), including cutaneous STIs (OR 2.6; CI 1.8 to 3.7), secretory STIs (OR 1.7; CI 1.3 to 2.2) and lice (OR 1.9; CI 1.3 to 2.9). These positive associations were stronger for extreme groomers (OR 4.4; CI 2.9 to 6.8) and high-frequency groomers (OR 3.5; CI 2.3 to 5.4) with cutaneous STIs, and for non-extreme groomers (OR 2.0; CI 1.3 to 3.0) and low-frequency groomers (OR 2.0; CI 1.3 to 3.1) with lice.
  
  
  
  Among a representative sample of US residents, pubic hair grooming was positively related to self-reported STI history. Further research is warranted to gain insight into STI risk-reduction strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.|Department of Surgery, University of Texas-Dell Medical School, Austin, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: E Charles
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Osterberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Gaither
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
authors.forename: Mohannad A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Awad
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Truesdale
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.affiliation: Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Surgery, Washington University-St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
authors.forename: Siobhan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sutcliffe
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.|Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
authors.forename: Benjamin N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Breyer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006197:Hair; D006204:Hair Removal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011630:Pubic Bone; D012494:Sampling Studies; D057566:Self Report; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012747:Sexual Partners; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014481:United States
keywords: CLINICAL STI CARE; INFECTION; PUBLIC HEALTH