Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Viva.
Domestic Violence and Pregnancy
For most couples, pregnancy is a wonderful time when they become closer to the prospect of becoming parents and embarking on this amazing journey.
Clare ScanlanPublished 5 years ago in VivaAre Birth Control Pills a Good Fit for You?
Birth control pills are a form of contraception that involve the use of hormones. The pills can vary in their make up but the majority of brands are a combination pill of different hormones such as estrogen and progesterone. They come in a pack and one is taken every day until the pack is empty.
Teela HudakPublished 5 years ago in VivaTurning the Tables
I could taste the sunscreen I had dedicatedly smeared on my face that morning as the sweat streamed down from my forehead.
Samantha HilyerPublished 5 years ago in VivaThe Difference
The word “No” doesn’t mean “convince me!" I just wish I lived by that saying. Today, I want to call 911 and tell them how my boyfriend has been using me as a slave instead of a girlfriend for three years. He beats me. He calls me ugly every time I put on makeup to hide the scars and bruises he leaves me with. He calls me a hoe even though I’m the one catching him, exterminating the term “fidelity” from his vocabulary. After he beats me, he always says, “I’m sorry, you know I love you,” but those words have lost meaning for the both of us. If he loves me, then what was the point of using me as a punching bag? Is a black eye supposed to resemble his love for my eyes? Is my broken nose supposed to say he thinks I’m beautiful? Is my beaten up face supposed to let people believe that he’s abusing me out of love? Abusing me didn’t make me love him more, it made me stop. He made me afraid of him and ashamed of myself.
Young Poetic QueenPublished 5 years ago in VivaWhat Is Rape Culture
Rape culture is a toxic set of beliefs that are commonly held about the way the world is. It is a culture that normalizes sexual violence and just sees rape as inevitable, unavoidable, and a totally normal thing. Rape culture supports and encourages male sexual aggression as well as violence against women and other groups. It ignores the problems around sexual assault. Victims are blamed for the act and encouraged to take precautions to avoid being raped. This is a more dominant attitude than teaching people not to rape others.
Teela HudakPublished 5 years ago in VivaFinancial Abuse After Separation
You’ve finally managed to get the courage and support to leave your abusive partner. You think you can breathe again and start rebuilding your life. Think again. Immediately post separation is a very dangerous time for abused women. Your ex is now furious; you have escaped his control and left without his permission. He is desperate to get his control back. You belong to him and you have dared to think otherwise!
Clare ScanlanPublished 5 years ago in VivaEduKating through Caribbean Cultural Expectations and Mindsets
As a Hispanic-American woman of Immigrants, there are expectations and mindsets that are put upon me that I have no control over. It has taken a while to understand but I understand that now. On July 26th 2019, I was on my way to an interview when an older gentleman from the Dominican Republic kept eyeing me. I had my headphones on, but something told me to take the off when he asked me if I was Dominican.
Kathleen BlancoPublished 5 years ago in VivaWhat Is Birth Control?
Birth control is any number of methods that work to prevent human sperm from reaching and fertilizing an egg inside of the vulva. The basic goal is to prevent pregnancy. There are a number of different types of birth control and each varies in effectiveness, expense, and method.
Teela HudakPublished 5 years ago in Viva5 Easy Ways to Look and Feel More Beautiful
Have you ever wanted to have a look that makes men's heads turn and women jealous? Chances are, you're just a few short steps away from achieving it.
Mikkie MillsPublished 5 years ago in Viva'She Believed She Could, So She Did' Feminist Affirmation Cards Review and More
I decided to buy my first collection of affirmation cards and I ended up choosing one called She Believed She Could, So She Did byPeter Pauper Press Inc. However, I realized even before buying them that I can't see all of the cards that come inside. Since I took the chance anyway and had them delivered to my doorstep, now it's my turn to let you know what cards come in this pack and what I thought about them.
My Second First Time
Your first experience with anything dictates your feelings subconscious and otherwise. My first sexual experience was a rape. I didn’t want to be scathed in any way. So I decided I wouldn’t be. I was young, I still had time to have impactful experiences. I’d just make an effort to do a bunch of other stuff and effectively knock this one out of the ring. I was desperate to have a sexual experience that could replace the assault. I wanted a first time story I could tell in drinking games. It had to hold up while reminiscing with friends, laughing about how short it was, how uncomfortable, how I had grown frustrated with fumbled buttons and clasps and done the damn thing myself. Unfortunately life and I weren’t on exactly the same page on that front, so I would create one.
Verdabelle StonessPublished 5 years ago in Viva- Top Story - August 2019
Discipline, Control, Outrage, and a Mannequin
This piece was originally published on Medium. An Unruly Mannequin Like so many others, I saw the Nike Mannequin madness unfold on my social feed first.
Jennifer ZevenPublished 5 years ago in Viva