Answer: If you look at pictures of women on the Internet, and in adult magazines, you may be led to believe that most women trim or shave their pubic hair. This is not true. Women working in adult entertainment do not represent the average woman. While many young women may trim or shave today, I would not consider it the norm. Having said this, it should be noted that many women find they prefer a trimmed or shaven pubic area.
Teenage girls on seeing these pictures, and seeing that their mother, older sisters, or girls at school trim or shave may be led to believe they should do the same. This may apply to young teens as well as those in high school, and college. A young woman may want to trim or shave, but does not feel she will fit in if she does, or that her friends and family will make fun of her. There can be a lot of pressure on a young woman to conform.
Ultimately, it is up to the individual woman if she trims or shaves her pubic hair, and if she shaves her legs and underarms. It is her body. There is certainly no reason a woman must trim or shave. While trimming of the pubic hair is not usually a challenge or a reason for concern, shaving can be an unpleasant experience for some. Pubic hair is normal, shaving is not. Shaving can irritate the delicate tissues of the vulva and thighs causing red bumps and rashes to occur. When the hair starts to grow back, there can be a lot of itching. In the beginning, shaving can be time consuming. While some women are able to shave without experiencing this irritation, it seems many or most will experience it at least occasionally.
Many young women are concerned about what their boyfriend or girlfriend likes or expects. Women in general are too eager to please their partner, and cause rather than prevent the emotional pain they seek to avoid. I believe woman should look at it from the perspective that their partner should feel extremely lucky to see and touch their vulva, no matter what it looks like. The same applies to their entire body. If they do not like what they see, they can go elsewhere. A woman can spend her entire life trying to be someone she is not. Your partner should like you for who you are, not expect you to mold yourself into an imaginary person, or a porn star. Most people do not have the option of picking and choosing a partner, so even if a woman chooses not to trim or shave, her partner will most likely not leave her. If they do choose to leave, they are not worth keeping. We have to keep things in perspective; it is after all just hair.
If a woman wants to trim or shave go for it. In fact, I recommend women trim their pubic hair short at least once in adulthood so they can see their vulva clearly. Especially if a woman has a lot of pubic hair, she may not know what her vulva actually looks like, or understand the complexity of its structure. Many women may believe they do not have external genitals. This can have a very negative effect on their perception and relationship with their body. If after trimming you do not like what you see, the hair grows back.
There is a page that addresses trimming and shaving in more detail and provides helpful tips on avoiding the irritation and bumps.