body
Feminism demands a future free of fat shaming, body obsession and the male gaze.
I am not a Victim but like #MeToo
If you were to ask me ten years ago to write my story, sorry no. If you were to ask me to write about the trauma I had went through as a maturing pre-teen, I would have told you to shit bricks,.. oops is that language even allowed here? Apologies. In my defense ten years ago, I was fifteen years young, filled with anger and trauma. I've honestly had this tab sitting open. Not knowing where to start. As you can tell by my picture, it's 2 a.m. A normal person would be sleeping at this time. Here I am rambling about things that don't really matter, so I will get started, the first time it happened.
Leana WhitrightPublished 3 years ago in VivaTime for Female Travelers to Ditch Tampons
Being a female traveler has its own obstacles, one of which is dealing with the menstrual cycle. Whether it's a twenty-hour bus ride through South America or a stay in a hotel in Melbourne when the flow hits you, no lady enjoys the thought of her favorite khaki trousers being ruined by the crimson wave.
Is your Time of the month trying to cramp your look?
All right, it's not a topic that most women will feel comfortable talking about. The time of the month may be a dreaded affair, but let's face it ladies. In addition to mood swings and lethargy, there is also bloating and cramping that can often be intensely difficult to deal with. All of these inherently affect our lifestyle, from being sedentary and not working out to being careful about what to wear to contain our discomfort.
Brands worldPublished 3 years ago in VivaTo the Woman Struggling to Love Her Body
We have all been struggled with our body in one way or another. It is hard to remember sometimes all that our body does for us and just how beautiful we are. When you look at your tummy in the mirror remember the feeling you got when you first saw the little bump that got bigger and bigger as it surrounded a growing baby. Remember how bad it hurt when you laughed so hard you cried. Hold onto that feeling and tell yourself that it is giving you the nutrients and energy you need to keep laughing and helping those around you whether it is chasing the babies around, working tirelessly, or holding another up when they are weak. When you look at your legs remember the feeling of running towards a loved one you haven’t seen in awhile. How they carried you so effortlessly. Remember all of the mountains you have climbed and just how beautiful the view was and how you wouldn’t have gotten there or even gotten out of bed this morning without them. Hold onto that feeling. Look at your arms. Remember the feeling of a warm embrace. How they gave you the ability to hold something close to your heart. Be it a person or a thing. Remember that. Hold onto it. Look at your face. Look at your eyes. Remember all of the sights they have seen and the looks of others eyes locking into yours letting you know you seen, you are safe, you are beautiful, you are loved. Remember the fire that burns inside of them when you set your mind to something. The lines that lay gently next to them. Remember all of the laughs you have laughed in order to earn those. All of the bright skies that have blinded you and made you squint, but it was a blessing because that means you have gotten to see a sunny day. Look at the skin on your face and remember all of the times it has been touched by a gentle hand, the warm rays of the sun, the kisses of babies and puppies. It may look tired, but that is because it has been through another day. Another day that you have gotten to live. Look at your mouth. Remember all of the times it has allowed you to say I love you. Remember the countless smiles you have given and how you have completely made someone’s day with your smile. Think back to the last stranger you smiled at and how they smiled back at you. Remember that feeling. Remember the feeling of making silly faces to make others laugh. Remember words that have been spoken to let others know you care. Remember the times that you haven’t had to say anything at all. They way your expression allowed you to say 1000 words without a single peep. Remember looking at yourself in the mirror at a low point and telling yourself you can do this and you did. We often take our bodies for granted and only see the flaws. We don’t remember the sunsets painted across them that almost reflected the bright and beautiful souls on the inside. We don’t think about how others see us and the fact that they see us for the actions we are doing and not the flaws that we think we have. Our bodies are something to be proud of. Every stretch mark, wrinkle, scar, and anything else we see as a flaw is really just a reflection of how much we have lived, the things we have gone through, and how strong we are. We are only ever given one body and it is our job to keep it healthy, but it is also our job to live and we cannot do that if we are to self conscious to do something based on how we look, worried about the calories we are consuming instead of enjoying the meal with our loved ones, or spending countess hours trying to change the way we look or covering it up when we could be doing something far more important, because remember that people see you for your actions and what you are doing with your body and not how you actually look. Those that are looking are looking at how beautiful you look and are thinking how blessed they are to have you in their life. All of these negative thoughts are in our minds and we project them onto our bodies, but most of the time the only place they really are is simply in our head. Remember all that your body has done and try to look at it as a child does. They do not know flaws. They only know bodies and how each are different and unique, but never flawed. You are beautiful and try to paint these memories across your body the next time you want to portray a negative thought onto it.
Lexi CarterPublished 3 years ago in VivaPeriod Poverty Throughout Covid-19 – What Challenges May It Bring?
The Covid-19 outbreak we are currently living through, is difficult for everyone. However, studies have found that girls and young women are disproportionately affected by health emergencies. In addition to the impact the Covid-19 pandemic is having on girls’ mental health (40 per cent of young women ages 14-21 have said that lockdown has negatively impacted their mental health), the issue of period poverty is also more acute and urgent than ever.
Caitlin PurvisPublished 3 years ago in VivaMenopause
I often hear the complaint "my wife suddenly lost interest in sex, she is bitchy and doesn't want me near her", "she is not the person I used to know!"
Rozanne RoyPublished 3 years ago in VivaI Do Not Want To Write This
Trigger warning: sexual assault, grooming This is going to be very different from what I normally write. If you are a friend of mine, I would appreciate a check-in with me before you read this. If you are new, welcome. I’m sure this found you for a reason. I don’t want to submit this. I will anyway.
Lauren (she/they)Published 3 years ago in VivaBleeding In A Mans World.
I'm a woman. Been one my whole life. I started my period when I was 15. Yeah, I know. I was a late bloomer. I'm grateful for my menstrual and the fact that it comes when it's supposed to, and it goes at a reasonable time. I feel like my body operates alright, as far as all my female organs and all that kind of stuff.
Charity Faye AlexanderPublished 3 years ago in Viva#metoo
To the man who tried to assault me, I'm sure you don't remember me. After all, I was just a waitress in a hotel trying to get through the 6th Christmas party she'd served at that week and heading to get more cutlery at 1am while you were stumbling up from the bar. I was just 17 years old when you grabbed me by the waist so hard you left bruises as I tried to walk past you. "Oh baby... baby where are you going?" You slurred into my ear while pressing your erection against my hip. "You don't want to work tonight, come back to my room instead... you'll have much more fun" you smirked as you pushed me through a door and down the corridor. You shushed my protestations and, when I began to cry while saying "please no" over and over again, you grabbed my upper arm and told me to shut up.
Megan HindmarshPublished 3 years ago in VivaMenstruation Hygiene Tips!!
Menstruation Hygiene Tips!! Women are thankful for many of the natural traits in them like bearing a child, going through labor pains and much more. However, one natural phenomenon that most of the women are not that fond of is Menstruation. It's not that we hate it, but we do not like it as much as we adore night dress for girls sexy. As this comparison makes no sense, so does the period aches.
Billebon Online Lingerie StorePublished 3 years ago in Viva5 Things Sex-Positive Women Do Differently
If you grew up hearing that sex and sexuality were shameful things never to be discussed in polite company, you’re far from alone. The same is true of you if you’re officially tired of it and ready to embrace a healthier, more sex-positive way of life. However, knowing you want to be sex-positive is one thing. Truly understanding what sex-positivity is (and isn’t) is a little more complicated.
My Body
Sex=pills and portions. If not sex=babies. Have you ever thought about how hard it is to have a great sex life as a woman? I don’t know about you, but I love to have sex. Its intimate enough to satisfy my craving for an affectionate touch but just as detaching to preserve my emotional independence. However, this freedom of sexual expression comes with a plethora of responsibilities. At my age, there is now way I’m having a child right now. So that means it’s my responsibility to be on contraception. Ugh. Take your pick… the pill, patch, injection, IUD. I have tried a couple techniques to shield myself from a pregnancy, if I was a man… anyway. With contraception there’s risks, of course. Your tit might fall off, JOKING. No seriously, cancer, blood clots, exotic pregnancy. Although these risks are clinically “rare” they still happen. I don’t mean to be a Debby-downer, but doesn’t it just make you so mad sometimes. You’d think because women go through enough during childbirth and after that we should be able to enjoy a full, vibrant sex life. But I guess not. Me, I’m against contraception. I was on it for a long time and started at a relatively young age. I didn’t even realise that I could feel so normal when I came off of it. There were so many aspects of life that were affected by the pills I was taking. My skin, for one, was trash lol. I’ve only just been able to undo the years of damage. Second, my mood swings were horrible, I would get so upset sometimes and wouldn’t even know why. Thirdly, the constant yeast infections. I thought my vag was just more sensitive or something, but once I came off the pill I went from having thrush every 1-2 months to having them every 1-2 YEARS! The only good thing I can say about that experience was that it kept me slim (but once I came off it, I exploded so I guess it’s not that great lol). I bet some will say but “it’s worth it because you could have worry-free sex”. Wrong. I had continuously heart attacks (not real ones) every month until I got my period. As you know the pill is not 100%. I didn’t get pregnant though, thankfully lol. Yes, it worked.
Anita VictorPublished 3 years ago in Viva