Depilation and some other methods of removing hair from the pubic area multiply the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases. A study highlights the likelihood of contracting Molluscum contagiosum, a skin infection that causes swollen, pearly sores. The infection is picked up through any form of contact. Until recently most common in children, in recent years there has been a strong trend of increasing cases of infection with Molluscum contagiosum through sexual contact. Doctors at a skin clinic in Nice, France, suggest that the increasingly popular practice of removing pubic hair is to blame. Of all patients, male and female, who visit the clinic with a diagnosis of sexually transmitted Molluscum contagiosum, 93% have recently undergone waxing of the intimate area. 70% of them use the shaving method, 13% – cutting and 10% – waxing. One-third of patients suffer from concomitant skin disease, bacterial infection, or genital warts. Small cuts and tears in the skin caused by the aggressive types of depisalia favor the passage of viruses, bacteria and pollutants through the body’s natural mechanical protection – the skin. These “gateways” are usually the first places where infection develops, and doctors observe a concentration of Molluscum contagiosum mostly around the genitals of those infected. NEWS_MORE_BOX Dr. Gail Mercurio advises those infected to immediately stop shaving the affected areas because, although small, the lesions are easily spread by this activity. The specialist advises to replace the risky practice with laser epilation, which does not pose a risk of such complications, because it does not violate the integrity of the skin.