Anonymous: Ok, so I've mustered up the courage to write this, and I want your opinion. So, I'm 15, and a few months ago I used to shave 'down there' and I'm not sure why I started, I just did, then I started to become a little lazy, then just forgot about it all together. So now, my cousin, who's a couple years younger than me makes jokes about it, not meant to be mean, but things like "Oh, you have a bush, haha, lol." And it makes me feel shitty, like I like shaving, but not all the time.


Hey, 

I’m glad you felt comfortable enough to ask me about this. It means a lot to me. 

I’m sure your cousin isn’t intending to be hurtful. They probably don’t realise that the comments are making you feel shitty. That said, I know it can be difficult to not let comments, like these, get to you. 

Just remember you have nothing to feel bad about, not a single thing. It’s your body and it’s up to you whether you shave or not.

You could try talking to your cousin about it but I know, in some situations, that’ll only make the comments worse, and more relentless. It’s tricky to know what to suggest without knowing what type of person your cousin is. 

I hope you don’t feel too bad about this though. I reckon it’s probably just thoughtless comments with no malicious intent behind them. :)