Association between pubic hair grooming and prevalent sexually transmitted infection among female university students

PLoS One. 2019 Sep 4;14(9):e0221303. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221303. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

Recent findings have suggested an association between pubic hair grooming and self-reported history of sexually transmitted infection (STI), specifically gonococcal infection (GC), chlamydial infection (CT), or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). We evaluated the association between self-reported extreme grooming and laboratory-confirmed prevalence of GC/CT. Between April 2017 and April 2018, we enrolled English-speaking, adult, female students at a large, Midwestern university who presented on-campus for STI testing. Participants completed a questionnaire on demographics and sexual and grooming behaviors, which was linked to their GC/CT test results based on nucleic acid amplification testing. We defined extreme grooming as removal of all pubic hair either at least weekly in the past 12 months or ≥6 times in the past 30 days. We used two separate logistic regression models to determine whether odds of GC/CT varied by extreme groomer status for either time interval. In the study sample of 214 women, prevalence of GC/CT was 9.8%. Nearly all participants (98.1%) reported ever grooming; 53.6% were extreme groomers in the past year and 18% in the past month. Extreme grooming was not associated with prevalent GC/CT in the past year (odds ratio [OR] = 0.8; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.3-1.9; adjusted OR = 0.7; 95% CI: 0.3-2.0) or in the past month (OR = 0.5; 95% CI: 0.1-2.0; aOR = 0.4; 95% CI: 0.1-1.9). Pubic hair grooming was common among female university students attending for STI testing. Findings do not support pubic hair grooming as an STI risk factor in this population.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Chlamydiaceae Infections / diagnosis
  • Chlamydiaceae Infections / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Gonorrhea / diagnosis
  • Gonorrhea / epidemiology
  • Hair Removal*
  • Humans
  • Logistic Models
  • Prevalence
  • Self Report
  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases / epidemiology
  • Students / psychology*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Young Adult