Who benefits if pubic waxing is an environmental catastrophe for crab-lice?


The crab-louse is in apparent decline, a situation that some doctors and entomologists attribute to widespread Brazilian waxing. Though, as Skepchick points out, there's a huge industry that stands to make a lot of money from this claim, and not a lot of evidence to back it up:

"Pubic grooming has led to a severe depletion of crab louse populations," said Ian F. Burgess, a medical entomologist with Insect Research & Development Ltd. in Cambridge, England. "Add to that other aspects of body hair depilation, and you can see an environmental disaster in the making for this species."

…"We put the flag out, so to speak, if we see a case of pubic lice nowadays," [Janet Wilson, a consultant in sexual health and HIV] said in an e-mailed response to questions. "The 'habitat destruction' of the pubic lice is increasing and they are becoming an endangered species."

Brazilian Bikini Waxes Make Crab Lice Endangered Species [Jason Gale & Shannon Pettypiece/Bloomberg]

(via Reddit)

(Image: Crab Louse (Phthirus pubis), a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from euthman's photostream)