body

Feminism demands a future free of fat shaming, body obsession and the male gaze.

Why even 'good girls' need pap smears
9:00 AM Monday morning: I'm in a tiny room at my doctor's office staring at stirrups. If you are unfamiliar with stirrups (and if you are, I am going to assume you are a man), they are two folding metal arms that protrude from the foot of a gynecological exam table, otherwise know as the most uncomfortable bed in the world. If you are lucky, the little foot rests at the ends have socks on them. I am not lucky today. My feet will be on the cold bare metal. I strip down to the nothing and don a comically thin paper gown (Opening in the front! I have to remind myself every time) and hop up on the table where I drape a thin paper sheet over my lap and wait for the doctor to arrive.
By Grace Ellis Barber4 years ago in Viva
Me.NoPause.2
“Is that normal”? Subtitle “Am I normal?” … I have stopped counting the posts ending or starting with this since I have joined social media menopause groups. All 20something of them…Always that question coming back, don’t take me wrong, I’m not judging, I have applied myself with professional dedication not to live a normal life, whatever it means, and still…Still, I remember perfectly well I ended up asking myself the same question with the first hot flush. Believe it or not, my mother who has no problem sharing careful details about bowels movement, yours or hers, a great listener on this at least, never shared any information about menopause. So of course, when the first night sweat showed up at 41 years old, me, a relatively well-educated woman, even if I admit biology was not my forte, didn’t t even think that it could be this because no woman in my family mentioned it ever in front of me.
By Lau Costantini4 years ago in Viva
Insights on Embryo Transfer Procedure
Insights on embryo transfer procedure! In IVF treatment, the embryo transfer procedure is an exciting and important milestone infertility treatment. It doesn’t matter how good the IVF laboratory culture environment is, the physician plays a significant role in performing embryo transfer procedures. The entire IVF treatment depends on careful placement of the embryos at the exact location that is near the middle of the endometrial cavity - with less trauma and manipulation.
By John A Schrute4 years ago in Viva
My Experience with the Nexplanon Birth Control Implant
Before I get started, I just want to state that this is MY experience. Everyone’s body is different, and I personally know people who have the Nexplanon and enjoy it. I am sharing my experience because I feel like the information I was given before getting the implant didn’t cover everything I needed to know, and I may have reconsidered if I knew what I was in for.
By Liv Pasquarelli4 years ago in Viva
Me.NoPause.1
Nothing prepares you at 41 years old to jump from being woken up at night to feed your last-born baby to being woken up by a night sweat a few days later and nothing really prepares you to being diagnosed with perimenopause a few months later when you realise those symptoms are here to stay and needs to be addressed.
By Lau Costantini4 years ago in Viva
Her Strength is Built in Baths.
“When surrounded by the cares of the world, she bathes; she washes the worries and works away.” —Natalie Stover The art of bathing has been around for a very long time. We could follow it back to nomadic tribes who would submerge themselves in natural hot springs to bring healing and peace to their bodies. Somehow, the springs beckoned them to soak in their natural elements, and even call truce in a survival of the fittest culture where only the strong survived. Sometimes, only these places offered peace, unity and healing amongst enemies and war. The art of bathing has always been a place where even the most barbaric can harness peace and let the worries of this world vanish for a moment, so I choose to glean from history and partake in this art as much as I can this year.
By Natalie Stover4 years ago in Viva
Struggles of a New Mom
In the Beginning At first pregnancy hit me like a ton of bricks. This new information caused feelings and emotions to crash over me like a tidal wave. All the sudden I was going to be a mom. I was nervous, scared, excited, happy and feeling guilty all at once.
By Shiny5 years ago in Viva
Exploring the Wreck
“I came here to explore the wreck. The words are purposes. The words are maps. I came to see the damage that was done and the treasures that prevail.“
By Delaney Jane5 years ago in Viva
I Am Fat
But more than that, I want to stop hating my body. Fat is an ugly word, isn’t it? Let’s not use that word. But I’m stuck right? I’m talking about a very sensitive issue and I’m doing it in a public forum and all I have is words at my disposal. I want to tell you that society hurts me when they consider me fat. That it hurts that family members and friends have called me that to my face and I’m sure behind my back.
By Nina Kaur5 years ago in Viva
Beauty Unleashed!
Body shaming hurts ten times worse when it's YOU who is doing the shaming! I'm being transparent and sharing a personal journey of mine while bringing new meaning to the phrase "love the skin you're in!" I took the picture you see last month and it was an unexpected moment of breakthrough for me! See, I typically would only take pics from the chest up or just a simple selfie. I had not felt confident about taking full body pictures of myself since high school, which was many years ago. I was out with friends wearing the dress you see in the picture. It was new and I felt like showing it off a little so I decided to wear it not knowing that day would be a life changing moment to remember! Everything was fine until one of my friends asked me to take a picture in my new dress. I immediately shook my head and told him I didn't want any full body pics and he didn't understand why I was feeling the way I did. He and the rest of my friends kept telling me how beautiful I looked in my dress and how I should really have a picture taken.
By Aundrya Richardson5 years ago in Viva
How common is arousal non-concordance
Arousal non-concordance / wetness There are a variety of factors that can cause wetness. Genital lubrication happens to be a natural process of the physiological functioning of females. Experts reveal that genital lubrication is necessary to protect from pain or tearing. Moreover, lubrication is a way by which vulvas self-clean themselves, maintain moisture, and stay free from infections.
By Harbor Compounding pharmacy5 years ago in Viva
Post Partum Depression, my experience.
Its not a real thing they say. PPD is just something that you are putting in your head. "you're just crazy", they said. I had my first born when I was 25. She was born in 2019, so she just turned two. Being pregnant with her was amazing, It was everything I thought the experience would be. From having back pain, to sciatic pain, to not being able to walk a block with out gasping for air. It sounds horrible, but that's what pregnancy is and feels like. At least for me it did the first time around. Towards the end of my pregnancy something went down hill. I was having contractions, got to the hospital and after being in Labor for over 32 hours she was finally born. My first born. Prior to her I had a miscarriage when I was only 18. Things happen for a reason and back then I was definitely not ready to have a child just how I was not ready to have this child. Or so I thought I was ready.
By Crystal5 years ago in Viva