Dear Curious,

Health care professionals have seen body treatments a lot more "radical" than your shave. Why, some need look no further than their own mirrors; could your doc's thighs or butt be emblazoned with a tattoo of The Spice Girls or Frank Sinatra? Remember, it's your body we're talking about. Cher once said something like this when interviewers peppered her with questions about her reported cosmetic surgery: "They're my tits, and I'll wear them on my back if I want to!" If you don't quite share Cher's confidence and impressive self-expression, maybe you could think of your pubic shave as just a new haircut.

Pop philosophy and humor aside, if embarrassment-driven delays were to result in failed detection and treatment of an annoying or serious health problem, most of us, if given a second chance, would probably break through those thick walls of self-consciousness in the name of prevention. Wouldn't you?

Alice

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