I can remember the day well. I had just gotten back from dance class. As I peeled off my sweaty leotard, I noticed something mysterious.
I walked up to my full length mirror to take a better look only to be confronted by three curly hairs hanging out on my vulva. Shocked, I took a step back.
My copy of “The Care and Keeping of You” had prepared me well for this day.
I had pubic hair.
Flash forward three years and I was still as shocked and confused as I was before. What does one do with pubic hair?
For the longest time I just didn’t do anything, until one day during my sophomore year, I got curious and decided I would shave it all off.
I was not prepared for the itching, chafing and burning that had resulted from my freshly-shaved pubis.
With a bottle of aloe vera in my hand, I swore I would leave my dark forest alone for the rest of my days.
The rest of my days lasted until I was exposed to the wide world of porn. Everybody having sex in those films was freshly shaven, without afflicting themselves with the devil’s chicken pox that is razor burn.
Suddenly I was perplexed. Was I expected to weed whack my bush in order to have a cooter as cool as a cucumber? And if so, how does one exactly go about that?
The truth is, the rise of internet porn has led to a lot of shaved kittens.
People watch freshly shaved porn stars and think it’s icky to have pubic hair. On the contrary, your pubes are actually pretty nifty.
According to “Our Bodies, Ourselves,” pubic hair prevents bad bacteria from coming into contact with the genitals by acting as a barrier to the vagina and the sensitive skin surrounding it.
Pubic hair reduces friction, making it less likely you will be sore and irritated down there after sex.
Pubic hair can also protect against STIs that are spread via skin-to-skin contact, such as HPV.
In essence, your pubic hair is your own personal TSA agent, except it won’t throw out your shampoo or racially profile you.
Pubic hair is just another part of owning a body. Do what is best for you and do it because you want to, not because it’s expected.
Shave it, wax it, dye it, braid it, trim it or leave it—the choice is yours.
