I recently made an inflammatory comment on another girl's post when she complained of intense discomfort after shaving, and that she never wanted to shave again. I saw the other women commenting that she should wax, pluck, exfoliate, or get professional waxing services instead. For some reason, though, no one was telling her that it was okay to choose to keep her hair.

When I commented that it is best not to shave for a variety of reasons, and that women should not yield to a trend that started as a fetish, but has since become a new status quo in women's health, I received a lot of nasty, hateful backlash.

I want to present the case for why it is wrong to believe that women's pubic hair or dirty, uncomfortable, or unacceptable.

- Pubic hair helps to maintain a healthy microbial balance. A higher occurrence of more frequent yeast infections is documented in women who regularly shave.

- Pubic hair also helps protect against friction wounds that open the vulva to infection by protecting the sensitive skin.

- Hair on the body heightens sensitivity. Although only anecdotal evidence exists for a bald vulva or hairy vulva providing more or less sexual sensitivity, it stands to reason that hair would not block pleasure, but heighten it given the biological nature of body hair.

- the body opted during the course of evolution to keep armpit hair and pubic hair because sweat clings to these areas most along with pheromones that make us more attractive to mates. If anyone was wondering why pubic hair exists, that's why.

- If pubic hair was itchy and uncomfortable, women would have been shaving en masse centuries ago. It's only the time following shaving when the hair is struggling to grow back that intense discomfort is felt in the genital area.

- the ingrown hairs, redness, puffiness, soreness, infections, discoloration, etc following shaving should be OBVIOUS signals that you're doing something you're not supposed to do. Just. Your body knows.

I'm only writing this because I just shaved my vulva and I'm learning all over again why women should not shave there. I have a sexual partner who wanted me shaved, and I gave into his wishes instead of what I knew was best for me.

To the women who tell other women they're "revolting", "disgusting", "don't care", or "unhygienic" for keeping their hair, have fun nursing your poor, swollen, bacteria ridden snatches, and lay off other people who keep it natural.

In other words, fuck off.

Best wishes, Aradia