Extreme pubic hair removal to cause recurrent urinary tract infections

Researchers in the current study investigated grooming habits and occurrence of UTIs in the past 12 months in 2409 women of age between 18-45 years. Women who reported removing all their pubic hair at least weekly were defined as extreme groomers. They collected additional information on covariates including age, having a first UTI at or before age 15, spermicide use, having a new sex partner, and frequency of sexual intercourse during the past year.

The highlights of study are

• 66.8% women were reported to be extreme groomers. Extreme grooming was not associated with the risk of being diagnosed with UTI (OR = 1.17, 95% CI = 0.90-1.52), but was associated with a higher risk of recurrent UTIs,

• The researchers defined recurrent UTIs as three or more UTIs within 12 months (OR = 3.09, 95% CI = 1.35-7.06), after controlling for age, history of UTIs, and sexual practices. Other studies have found that hygienic purposes are the most common motivations for pubic hair removal.

Researchers concluded that extreme pubic hair removal is a potential risk factor for recurrent urinary tract infections. They speculate that microbes in pubic hair maintain urogenital health by serving as a niche for beneficial bacteria.

Reference: Galbarczyk A, Marcinkowska UM, Klimek M, Jasienska G. Extreme pubic hair removal as a potential risk factor for recurrent urinary tract infections in women. Sci Rep. 2023 Nov 3;13(1):19045. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-46481-6.