body
Feminism demands a future free of fat shaming, body obsession and the male gaze.
The Body Talk
Accept first and foremost that this isn’t going to be what you think it is. Secondly, accept that you aren’t going to like what I’m about to say.
Gaia AtlasPublished 5 years ago in VivaThe Sexualization of the Female Body
I hate to start this all feminist with you, but almost every woman around you, from your mum to your sister, will have experienced either sexual discrimination or sexual harassment at least once in their life. This is the case more often that it is not.
Peach Verdi PietersenPublished 5 years ago in VivaWomen Need to Cover Up
We all hear the sentence and we have heard it over and over again, "women should not breastfeed in public" or "women need to be more decent." My personal favorite and laughable opinion: "Women should feed their babies in a more private place, like for instance, in a bathroom."
How to React When Your Doctor Refuses to Sterilize You
Of the women who use contraception, 20 percent of them choose sterilization over any other birth control option. A study published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) in 2017 estimates that sterilization is the second most popular form of contraception. With all that being said, it is not uncommon for women to get denied this option. It’s not unheard for doctors to tell women that they will regret their decision of permanent sterilization, and refuse the procedure. Imagine yourself in this scenario. How are you supposed to react when a doctor refuses to sterilize you?
Jules FortmanPublished 5 years ago in VivaMy First Pap Smear Test
I'm now 25, which means that in the UK I have to go and get my first smear test done. I'd been putting it off for six months, despite the scare-mongering leaflets in the post and the fact that I really knew I should go.
I Can't Even Do My Laundry
I'm quite certain you don't know what happened. Not many men go around bragging about assaulting women. However, I wouldn't be surprised if he told you about me. When I left your apartment, he had no fear. He even told me to come back.
Laura BrunsPublished 5 years ago in VivaAn Open Letter To My Rapist
It's hard to even put into words what I feel about you. Every day for months the hatred I have felt has rooted deeper into my heart. It's even harder to fathom a day where I haven't pictured your face or even the way you smell. You haunt me. An unwanted essence that festers inside my chest. Most days I feel like I'm trapped. I feel as though the doors to my dungeon are slowly closing but I'm too weak to stand up and make my way out. It's filthy down here. I'm covered in dirt in my mind. I'm dirty. I can feel the dirt seep into my veins corrupting me more and more. Day by day the dirt sinks deeper and I decay. Only I'm alive. I'm alive and I'm dead and I hate you.
The Darkest SunrisePublished 5 years ago in VivaBeing a Plus-Size Boudoir Model
I adore lingerie. The lace, velvet, and sheer materials encompassing my body make me feel sexy and desirable. Unfortunately, because I'm a bigger girl, I don't have many options for lingerie. I work in a lingerie store, and we have our clothes split into plus size and regular size. The plus size section takes up three or four racks, while the regular section takes up around twenty. It's hard to find sexy things when your body is bigger.
Laura BrunsPublished 5 years ago in VivaDear Body
Dear Body, I’ve known you for 23 years now and what a ride it’s been. Of those 23 years, I have hated you for 15. I’ve hated you since I was made painfully aware of how obviously you did not fit into society’s mold. You’ve always been an "ugly duckling" of sorts: Lumpier, round, just all around larger than everyone else around you. You’ve always stuck out like a sore thumb and I yearn for the days when I lived so carefree, unaware of how unacceptable society has made the extra space you occupy out to be.
Robyn SadowskyPublished 5 years ago in VivaThe Future of Feminine Hygiene
Let me begin by saying (ranting) that I’m going to discuss the content of this article in pretty candid detail, so if women’s bodies make you uncomfortable, I might suggest putting this article down and stepping out of the 7th grade. It’s about time women everywhere feel they’re able to talk about their periods if they so choose. Some people don’t want to talk about their periods because it makes them uncomfortable to do so (or for whatever reason), and that’s totally valid. That’s okay, and it’s really none of anyone’s business. However, the women who do want to talk about it should be able to without feeling “gross.”
Stripes JoplinPublished 6 years ago in VivaVodka and Orange Juice
The first time I drank was with Jake Henderson*. He was seventeen and I was thirteen, he lived in my neighbourhood and he used to message me on facebook and we'd talk. He wasn't my boyfriend or anything, but I'd go to his house after school sometimes and we'd make out. We did that a few times and then I'd leave before his parents got home from work. But this one time, his parents were out of town and he gave me a big glass of vodka and orange juice.
Finding Peace
For much of my high school years, I was much “smaller.” By that, I mean I was in a gym constantly because I thought the only way to be happy was to be thin. I went to a “gym” that was geared towards sex appeal. To be honest, sometimes it was so much fun. It felt nice to feel sexy, to do dances and hold poses on a pole. We did all kinds of things, and sometimes I was uncomfortable, but I did it anyway. It made the world seem, to me, like I could only go places in life with sex appeal. I thought that these classes would launch me straight into a great life with money and happiness and romance, but it honestly crushed my soul. The people I surrounded myself with in these classes, unintentionally, were hurting me. They would say how weird it was that one specific person was with me all the time and “Oh, she must be in love with you, how weird.” She was, still is, and we are very happy, but that’s another story.