Did "Sex and the City" Help Rid the World of Pubic Lice?

[JamesG]

Was "Sex and the City" The Beginning of the End for Pubic Lice?
04/07/2013


It is estimated that 10,000 species go extinct every year, however, the loss of some are mourned more than others. One species unlikely to be greatly missed is Pthirus pubis, otherwise known as the pubic louse. Much like the panda, pubic lice are being threatened with extinction due to the disappearance of their natural habitat. However this is due to deforestation of another kind - the increased popularity of ‘Brazilian waxing’.

In a presentation due to be given at the British Association of Dermatologists’ Annual Conference in Liverpool next week (8-11 July), researchers will hypothesise that the impetus behind this comprehensive approach to hair removal stems from an episode of the hit US TV show "Sex and the City", first aired in 2000, which introduced an international audience to the practice.





The pubic louse has infested humans for thousands of years, with archaeologists discovering specimens in the UK as far back as the 1st century AD. The pubic louse evolved from its ancestor, the gorilla louse, about 3.3 million years ago and adapted to live in areas on the human body with a similar density of hair to that of the gorilla.

Unfortunately this was a costly mistake, as a mere 3.3 million years later the international success of "Sex and the City" has led to an unprecedented removal of this very hair.





A UK study showed a fourfold increase in its incidence, from 0.8% in 1954 to 3.2% in 1964, which may have been due to increased sexual freedom. However, from 1997 to 2003 a further UK study revealed a steep reduction in prevalence from about 0.41% to 0.17%.

Similar observations have also been reported from sexual health specialists in Australia. A decrease in sexual activity could not have accounted for this, as the prevalence of other sexually transmitted diseases has increased.





Dr Kun Sen Chen, one of the authors of the presentation, said:

"Pubic hair removal has been practised by humans for thousands of years, by cultures from all over the world, including the Ancient Egyptians. However, until recently, with the rise of truly global mass media, pubic lice have been able to weather changing cultural attitudes to body hair.

What we have seen at work is the law of unintended consequences, in popularising hair removal Carrie Bradshaw and co. have contributed to ridding humanity of pest that had plagued humans for millions of years. Sadly there isn’t an Emmy for that."





Before giving all the plaudits to the writers of "Sex and the City" it’s worth considering that other factors for the decline in pubic lice numbers could include the reluctance of patients to seek medical attention leading to self-treatment with over-the-counter insecticidal treatments, therefore causing a decline in recorded numbers.

The research is due to be released at the British Association of Dermatologists’ Annual Conference in Liverpool this week (July 8th - 11th).

http://www.bad.org.uk/site/1563/default.aspx#louse

[TMC]

http://hellogiggles.com/did-sex-and-...-sexual-health

You know how Sex and the City taught us a bunch of stuff?

Like how it’s okay to be single, and sometimes even better to be? And how fashion risks can really pay off? And how we may just have two big loves of our lives (hoping that one isn’t true)! And how girlfriends are the real soulmates in this wonderful thing we call life!

But do you ever think about what else Sex and the City taught us? Have you ever realized that the level of sexual awareness – both sexual freedom, and awareness of general upkeep of sexual areas of the body? I hadn’t really either until this article from the Daily Mail discussed the British Association of Dermatologists – and yes, their acronym is BAD, hilariously enough – believe that a year 2000 episode of Sex and the City created the trend of bikini waxing, thus decreasing the frequency in the occurrence of pubic lice.