Letters to the Editor
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LW should do with her genitals as she likes.
I agree with people who want some neatness when they get down to it. My husband needs to stay neat. I don't do the human floss. My husband and I both trim periodically. We both tried shaving, but didn't like the work to maintain (or pain to regrow) or, most importantly, the appearance post hair removal.
I suspect that, for most people, the choice to wax/shave/trim/not grows out of a pretty strong preference for the appearance one way or the other. My husband and I both happen to have the same strong preference for a certain genital appearance. I can imagine that some people who shave have a similarly strong preference, and it doesn't seem like it'd be humane to make someone consistently (maybe once in a blue moon, but not consistently) groom themselves contrary to the way they like to feel and look. I'd never pressure my husband to shave his genitals, even if I were into the bald look, because I can't imagine bugging him to do something he doesn't enjoy in order to qualify for sexual activity with me.
Therefore, LW, I would recommend that you determine for yourself what look and feel and maintenance level (and whether you see yourself hunching down on all fours for a stranger to rip wax off your butt hole -- yikes!) you like and then stick with that most of the time. I just can't imagine that it would be good for you to subjugate your sexual tastes (and aversions) even half the time just to suit someone else.
Also, the wide variety of responses here should indicate to you that, no matter what your potential boyfriends say to you, no particular stance on this issue is the norm. And even if someone could show you that every single person on the planet prefers one way, but you prefer another -- you are actually grossed/freaked out to go against your preference -- that showing shouldn't change your mind, should it?
If you are still interested in knowing what percentage of women do what with their genital hair, I believe that the number of women who engage in genital hair modification more invasive than trimming is about half, which is probably quite a higher number than in previous decades (before spas/salons made it their business to promote this type of hair vigilance).