A federal agency that can’t afford Zika research somehow found enough tax dollars to fund a study examining pubic hair grooming trends among American women.
The University of California study – titled “Pubic Hair Grooming Prevalence and Motivation Among Women in the United States” – was partially funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), whose director previously said additional money is needed to combat Zika.
“Health care professionals and those who provide grooming services can use this information to better counsel patients and understand grooming practices,” the study said. It was authored by Tami Rowen, Thomas Gaither, Mohannad Awad, E. Charles Osterberg, Alan Shindel and Benjamin Breyer.
The study funded by NIH was published Wednesday and done by researchers who argued that it is important because “[p]ubic hair grooming is an increasingly prevalent trend.” The study aimed to “characterize current pubic hair grooming practices in the United States.”
The study surveyed 3,372 women, nearly 84 percent of whom “reported pubic hair grooming,” the study said. Most of the women who said they didn’t shave were aged 45 years or older.
“When asked where they groom, most women reported grooming the hair above and around the vagina … and relatively few reported grooming the buttocks and around the anus,” the study said. “U.S. women are more likely to groom their pubic hair if they are younger, white, and more educated.”
The study continued, noting that “pubic hair grooming practices pose some potential risks of injury to women, most often related to shaving. Obese women are particularly prone to injury during pubic hair grooming, which is important to any practitioners who address gynecologic health. There are also known benefits to pubic hair grooming, such as decreased rates of pubic hair lice.”
Women reported that they groom for a variety of reasons and occasions, including hygienic purposes, to make “their genitals more attractive,” partner preference, sex, vacation and health care visits, the study said.
It’s uncertain how much money NIH gave the study, since agencies can conceal how grants are spent. Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake introduced legislation in May that would require additional transparency. (VIDEO: Feds Spent $35 Million On Weird Research, Like Why Primates Love Metallica)
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