Really and truly - cycling shorts are designed to be worn without underwear -it doesn't matter if you are a man or woman. The whole ideas is to create a seamless area in the place where your legs move and your body contacts the saddle - because seams can chafe and rub and bunch.

It's not about padding. Padding is a relatively new addition to cycling shorts- not long ago at all a chamois was exactly that - a piece of chamois leather. Chamois cream was originally used to keep the leather supple and soft. Many of us still prefer minimal padding and find thick chamois to be uncomfortable.

As for chamois cream use these days - that's pretty individual. Some people like it, others don't so much. I personally don't use it much. On very long, or particularly hot rides I might use a little zinc ointment on a few of my known contact spots.