Introduction:

Genital hair removal is very common, with the increasingly popular tendency for total removal in women of childbearing age. The main reasons for removing pubic hair are hygiene, physical attractiveness and aesthetic; however, it is not a complication-free practice. Currently, there is little information about this behavior in pregnant women.

Aim:

To describe the frequency and characteristics of genital hair removal in pregnant women with low obstetric risk in a first level institution in Colombia.

Material and methods:

Prolective cohort study was conducted that included 60 pregnant women with low obstetric risk in a first level institution. A self-applicable survey on the practice of genital hair removal was delivered each trimester. The results were compared in different trimesters of pregnancy.

Results:

The median age was 22 years; 61% were primigestant. More than 95% reported total genital hair removal at least the previous month to survey; this conduct could be considered as permanent in 65% of women. The most frequently used method was razor blade removal (93.8%). No changes were found in this practice throughout pregnancy.

Conclusion:

Despite the known complications associated with this behavior, many women shave their genital hair due to various sociocultural reasons. This study found a high prevalence of the practice of genital hair removal in pregnant women, without evidencing that such behavior changed throughout pregnancy.