Medical expert warns women against shaving pubic hair as it can cause infection and harm their arousal

CONTROVERSIAL gynaecologist Dr Jen Gunter has warned women against waxing or shaving their pubic hair because it can cause what is known in medical circles as microscopic trauma which in turn can lead to infections and can also affect their sex drive.

Dr Gunter, the author of the highly controversial Vagina Bible, recently revealed that the purpose of pubic hair is somewhat of a mystery but going natural is necessary to protect the skin by acting as a barrier against the outside world. She added that getting a Brazilian may also reduce sexual pleasure, with pubic hair being connected to nerve endings that might help arousal.

In recent years, pubic hair grooming has almost become the norm, with many blaming the porn industry for the development. Recently, scientists from the University of California, San Francisco, asked more than 3,300 women about their downstairs grooming, of which, 83.8% claimed to wax, shave or epilate their pubic hair, with just 16.2% leaving it intact.

Hygiene was the most commonly reported reason for grooming, with 59% of women saying it was what made them remove their hair. However, Dr Gunter warns waxing, shaving or sugaring, which involves mixing sugar, lemon juice and water to create a wax-like gel, claiming they may all do more harm than good.

Dr Gunter said: “You are causing microscopic trauma to the skin. Pubic hair has a function, it is probably a mechanical barrier and protection for the skin and it may also have a role in sexual functioning because each pubic hair is attached to a nerve ending, that’s why it hurts to remove it.”

She added that she sees women with cuts, grazes and even infections when hair removal goes awry. Most experts think that pubic hair is involved in the release of pheromones, chemicals that trigger arousal.

One expert from Columbia University in New York, said that pheromones are thought to get trapped in pubic hair when glands release an odourless secretion on the skin that combines with bacteria decomposed by the secretion of other glands. This is then thought to produce a scent that varies from person-to-person.

Some studies suggest women are attracted to pheromones that differ significantly from their own because it suggests genetic diversity, the expert added. Other theories as to pubic hair’s purpose include warmth or helping the vagina stay clean.

Critics argue, however, if warmth was the reason, men would surely have more hair along their penis and around their scrotum. Also, the protection theory also falls short because men do not have similar cushioning around the opening of their urethra.

Other experts believe that removing pubic hair may have some benefits, by offering protection against body lice. According to the British national health Service, lice live on coarse human hair, like that found around the genitals.