Let’s talk about body hair for a hot second; specifically, pubes. I once dated a guy who had the audacity to demand that I shave lest he be repulsed by my hairy genitals and refuse to have sex with me. Don’t worry, we broke up shortly thereafter. While it’s not bad to have a preference over how our partner styles their body hair, it’s something else to insist they remove their body hair entirely and threaten to withhold sex if they don’t.
As a vulva-owner, I’ve never been a fan of shaving. If there is hair there, I trust in my body that it’s there for a reason. Pubic hair protects the vulva by providing physical protection by trapping dirt and bacteria and maintaining humidity beneficial to microflora. It may also play a role in sexual pleasure by reducing friction and spreading pheremones. Pubic hair removal, on the other hand, may cause injury, irritation, and an increased risk of contracting certain STIs.
Sex, especially oral sex, plays a huge role in people’s decision whether or not to get out the landscaping tools. A 2017 study showed that the preparation for sexual activity was the number one motivator for men to groom their pubes, with half of all men surveyed regularly grooming. In comparison, a 2016 study revealed almost 84 per cent of women regularly removed their pubic hair. Another 2016 study disclosed that 95 per cent of heterosexual males had a preference for shaved genetalia for females. Another study by Cosmopolitan revealed that 40 per cent of men have asked their partners to shave, with 30 per cent even reconsidering a relationship with someone who didn’t shave. Unsurprisingly, this entitlement over their partner’s bodies is not shared by the women who were surveyed.
There is just too much hair on my head and my body to all be perfectly manicured and maintained according to the cultural standards of beauty dictated to me by companies and celebrities who just want to sell me stuff or, God forbid, my partner who thinks the pre-pubescent clean-shaven look is attractive. Women are expected to shave (or wax) off their pubic hair, leg hair, and armpit hair; we need to pluck our eyebrows and extend our eyelashes; on top of all that, we need to maintain a full head of styled, split-end-free coiffure. Nuh-uh, no more; I couldn’t care less whether or not you see my bush poking out of my string bikini while I’m at the lake this summer. Ain’t nobody got time to remove all that body hair, and besides, it’s scientifically proven to be detrimental to your health to get rid of. So let’s just stop already.
But that’s just my opinion on the matter. I know people who are more comfortable and live their best lives with just a totally naked, hair-free body. My point is, it’s completely your decision whether or not you want hair on your body. Don’t let societal beauty standards and/or your partner decide or influence what you should do with your body. Your body, your choice, baby.
Andrea Sadowski is working towards her BA in Global Development Studies, with a minor in anthropology and Mennonite studies. When she's not sitting in front of her computer, Andrea enjoys climbing mountains, sleeping outside, cooking delicious plant-based food, talking to animals, and dismantling the patriarchy.