Do you remember the first time you shaved your pubes? When you were awkwardly bent over in the shower yelling at your parents to stop knocking on the door and asking why you've been in there for so long…oh, was that just me?
OK, even if you can't relate, everyone has a preference when it comes to how they maintain their pubic hair. Landing strip. Brazilian. Five o'clock shadow. Full bush. You name it. Whether you have a freshly trimmed flowerbed or lush, overgrown jungle, you're in charge of your own foliage.
Along with that autonomy comes a range of reasons for why people do or don't prefer to have hair down there. Maybe you like the skin around your hoo-ha to be silky smooth for sex. Or maybe you would rather skip the irritated skin and save time in the shower. Curious how common your down-below grooming habits are? Researchers from a university in Belgium actually decided to explore pubic hair trends and the reasons behind them.
They analyzed data from a survey of over 4,000 Belgian men and women over the age of 15. Participants were asked questions like whether they groomed their pubes, why they did or didn't (but not how, unfortunately), their relationship status and sexuality, and more.
Here's what they found: 80% of women said they had removed their pubic hair recently at the time of the survey. Perhaps unsurprisingly, that number was only 39% for the guys. Just 3% of women said they had never removed their pubic fuzz. Seriously, not even once. But many more men than women said they had a lifelong bush—21%, to be exact.
Women were also more likely to start mowing their lawn at a younger age, according to the survey. About 88% of ladies ages 15 to 20 reported grooming, while only about 28% of men in that age group did so. Women between 15 to 20 were the most likely to trim among women in general, while men between 40 and 50 were doing the most pubic grooming among guys.
Lesbian women reported grooming slightly more than hetero or bisexual women, and bisexual men were most likely to go hairless. Married dudes were most likely to trim, while women were most likely to do so if they were dating someone they didn't live with.
The researchers also looked at why people groom. Comfort during oral sex was at the top of the list, with 75% of women and 39% of men choosing this reason. About 67% of women said they do it because they feel more feminine, 63% said they like to feel soft, and 62% said their partner liked it. Women who didn't shave said they opt out because of the side effects, like itching and bumps, or because their partner prefers them not to.
Cleanliness was a close second for the men, with 39% of them saying they "think it is more hygienic." About 37% of men also said they "like to feel soft," and 36% said their partner wanted them to be clean shaven.
So there you have it, folks. Everyone is different below the belt, and pubic hair is no exception. However you whack your weeds, be proud of it.
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