Anatomy and Function
The mons veneris or mons pubis is a protrusion above the pubic bone (Os pubis). It lies between vulva and midsection and is bolstered up by fat tissue. The size of the mons veneris depends on the influence of estrogen and correlates with the rest amount of fat in the body. [1] [2] [3]

The hair on the mons veneris starts to grow during puberty. There are not only sweat and sebaceous glands in this region but also apocrine sweat glands which emit pheromones. [1]

Sexuality
Since there are several nerve fibers in this area, it could also be called an erogenous zone. [1] [3]

Culture
In western culture, the mons veneris is depilated with increased frequency. This is not out of hygienic reasons but is supposed to be sexually attractive. [4] [5]

However, pubic hair has many advantages. On the one hand, it protects the vulva and on the other hand, hair emits pheromones. It is also a sign of physical sexual maturity during puberty. The removal can cause skin irritations and thus promote inflammations and infections. [6]

Many traditions and cultures stress a hair-free pubic area. This is why health-damaging procedures were applied in the past, such as depilation using lye or arsenic products. In former times, like in Antiquity and the Middle Ages, the practical reason behind this approach was the large spread of mites and lice which also liked to settle in pubic hair. [5]

Lately, the depilation of pubic hair is popular among younger generations. Only 16% of all twenty to thirty year old women let their pubic hair grow naturally. Among forty and fifty year olds it's 45%. One possible reason could be the standard image of a depilated vulva in pornography. Other surveys show a high gender difference: While around two thirds of women depilate regularly, only 20-30% of all men show a similar behavior. [5] [7]

In the end it's a question of taste whether pubic hair is long or short since it's an autonomous decision how to deal with one's own body hair.