Almost one in four women (23 percent) indicate that they are "very conscious" of their vaginal or external vaginal odor, with one in six (17 percent) saying that they are self-conscious about it when being intimate with a partner. Ten percent of women report using products to combat vaginal odor.

Almost half of U.S. women (47 percent) indicate that they use feminine health products for various purposes. Almost one in four (24 percent) women use feminine health products to clean the feminine area or to absorb excess discharge. Of those, the most common products used (by 12 percent) are feminine cleansing cloths. One in six women (17 percent) indicate that they use products to treat or ease feminine itching and one in six (17 percent) use lubricants to reduce or ease the discomfort of vaginal dryness.

"V" Fashion
Fashion and grooming trends have extended below the waist. One fourth (25 percent) of all women aged 18 and older report that they "closely trim their pubic hair with scissors or clippers," and 23 percent say they shave part of their pubic hair off. Nine percent say they shave all of their pubic hair off.

Women in the 18 to 44 age group are more likely to remove hair in their pubic region than women over 45, perhaps because this age group is more likely to think that men prefer a well-manicured pubic region on a woman (38 percent of women aged 18-44 think most men prefer a manicured look, compared to 14 percent of women aged 45-54 and 3 percent of those aged 55 and older). The look can sometimes come with a price, however, as one in six women (17%) experience itching and/or irritation following pubic hair removal.

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Contact: Kathryn Moschella
kmoschella@robinleedyassociates.com
914-241-0086
Robin Leedy & Assoicates, Inc.
5-Apr-2006