body
Feminism demands a future free of fat shaming, body obsession and the male gaze.
10 Foods That Make Your Period Worse. Top Story - January 2019. Created with: INTIMINA.
Your menstrual cycle will always come once a month, but no two periods are quite the same. Some are heavier than others. Others are a little more moody, while still more might have those diet-smashing cravings kick in at odd hours.
By Mackenzie Z. Kennedy7 years ago in Viva
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
Polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, is a hormonal problem that is estimated to affect as many as 10 million people worldwide. While the exact cause is unknown, it is suspected that genetics and environment play a big role in the development of PCOS. Despite other concerning fertility affected disorders and conditions, PCOS is the leading cause of infertility in women, and the symptoms can be extremely damaging to your physical and emotional health.
By Jessye Gould7 years ago in Viva
Avon Apologizes for Body Shaming Ad, Says 'We Hear You'
I'm a reasonably fit, nearly-46-year-old woman with two kids. I'm not really big into beauty products because in general, I don't like to fuss too much. I moisturize my legs, I wash my face and hair (and whatever else might be dirty), and I brush my teeth on the regular. That's about it.
By Christina St-Jean7 years ago in Viva
Owning My Truth
For a while I've let the sexual abuse I've experienced control me. It was like this forbidden thing to talk about. It felt so taboo to own my truth, say it out loud, and finally be okay with it. I could not give myself the permission to be okay with life. How could I give myself permission to live a happy life when I experienced trauma, and had to say good-bye to the little girl inside of me too soon?
By Doe's Crafte`7 years ago in Viva
Justice?
You never really understand until it happens to you, the trauma that leads to sleepless nights the bruises that never quite seem to fade. The abuse you receive being called a liar having to face the friends and the family. You hear the similar stories on the news or the incident that happened at the nightclub down the road and you watched tv programmes try and portray the storyline to increase awareness and help those in need. You watch it all, and listen to the stories all with the constant thought "this could never happen to me" you say it until it does. Then you forget about the stories that you heard trying to empathise with the victim because now you are the victim and like so many others it’s your story, it’s your voice that needs to be heard and the repetition of trying to get people to understand why you feel the way that you do. You are now the one in the position who is trying to convince people that you are not the liar, that what you are saying is the truth. You no longer have to pretend to understand because now you do and the sad part about it all is that you shouldn’t have to understand because it never should have happened to you.
By Louise Ralph7 years ago in Viva
"Fat"
I have been obsessed with my body for as long as I can remember. As a little kid, my mom went to a dietitian because I was heavier than the average kid my age. I ate the same things as my mother and little brother; still, I was the heavier one. Everyone always told me to watch what I eat. As years went by, my self-esteem worsened to a point where I barely ate at all.
By Unknown Love7 years ago in Viva
To The Strip Clubs Who Don't Hire Plus-Sized or Alternative Women
Last summer when I got fired from my job as a server, I was restlessly searching for another one; not only in the food industry but the retail one too. I was searching for anything I could get my hands on, but I decided to branch out. I thought that maybe I should get back into sex work, just in case. I wasn't aware of phone sex and filming being options at the time, so I decided to check out the closest strip club I knew. See, I’ve been dancing for years and at the time I really didn’t want to go back, personally because I was still burnt out from doing it a year before that. However, I wasn’t going to turn down a possible opportunity to make money the best way I knew how. I’m a veteran stripper, I’ve been in several clubs. I’m a money maker. I’m a business woman. I know what I'm doing.
By Mardoll Gatsby7 years ago in Viva
The Female Dilemma: Just Eat It
I remember the first time I sat on a Sex Ed. course in high school. It was both painful and hilarious as my science teacher, Ms. Springer* explained what the birds and the bees were to 15-year-old girls in a Catholic institution. She flailed her limbs to explain how a penis worked when it became “excited” and proceeded to show us a video on the joys of childbirth. In the end I realized that there wasn’t anything valuable I really learned from the session, that I couldn’t read up on myself if I was curious enough. Let me tell you, I was one heck of a curious kid. One thing I wish I had learned from that day on was how to love my body after puberty had packed up its luggage and left to embark onto the adventures of womanhood. And as we draw into the New Year and I become more reflective, I simply ask, “Why have I not been loving my body enough?”
By Gabrielle Maryse7 years ago in Viva
The Christmas Party and Sexual Harassment
But despite all the fun and games, Christmas parties can occasionally have a much darker side. In recent years the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment and sexual assault has been sweeping the globe. It’s main aim is to show prevalence and to show other individuals going through the same thing that they are not alone. It has not only risen awareness in general but has also highlighted the some of those ‘innocent’ work party events are actually sexual harassment and assault in the workplace.
By Nathalie Martin7 years ago in Viva
