Body Talk
Your body, your choice? A place to debate and discuss the complexities and controversies surrounding women's' health issues, reproductive rights, and bodily autonomy.
I’m Not Perfect, According to the Media...
Every step you take determines who you are. Society tries to pressure us to fit inside the social “norm” and aspire to be more like what we see in the news. I know, I know, it seems as if everybody nowadays makes the statement about the one body size that is shown in the media. However, I’m here to show the other side of the story. People always talk about the hourglass figure that is displayed in the media and how larger people need to be shown too, but rarely does someone discuss the other extreme on the spectrum, the skinny.
Lily PenshawPublished 6 years ago in VivaYou Can Say "Period."
Some days I feel like the world has made great leaps in breaking "female" taboos. BodyForm has released an ad with blood in it instead of the strange blue fluid we've all grown used to, women talk more openly about their periods, about reproductive issues, and the stigma behind getting a sexual health check seems to be reducing.
Lizzie EllisPublished 6 years ago in VivaJust Be YOU
When I looked in the mirror yesterday, all I saw was a 19-year-old girl with an endless amount of flaws. My hair didn’t fall the way I thought it should. I have acne spots. I looked down at my finger nails, angry that I didn’t have enough self-control to not bite them. I looked at my face—too round, too many freckles. My eyes, not blue enough. Eyebrows, they didn’t look the way the model’s did.
Katie HollisPublished 6 years ago in VivaStruggles to Be Perfect
I am not skinny. I have massive thighs. I do not have a flat stomach. I have a muffin top. I do not fit in the latest shirt styles. I have big boobs that need support. I go to the gym to try to get in better shape. Why do I need to work out until I have the perfect body? I am not perfect, but then again, who is?
Hannah ElliottPublished 6 years ago in VivaBody Image
Body image can be very important to a person. Thanks to social media and the internet, there is a stigma that most individuals that struggle with their body image are women, when in fact it's 50/50 between both women and men. However, men don’t talk about the issues, whether it is their bodies or their health, unlike some women.
Tanisha DaggerPublished 6 years ago in VivaStrike a Pose
I'm a figure, art, fashion, boudoir, and lifestyle model. This is my best kept secret, especially that first one. It's very stigmatized, being a nude model. Even though it's only a small fraction of my overall modeling, it's still something I keep very hush-hush. People automatically think I'm some porn star or something, which I honestly couldn't do if I tried. The stamina in those women is borderline superhuman.
An Open Letter to My Body
Dear body, We’ve known each other for 21 years now, and we’ve been through a lot together. Truly, you’ve been there for me more than I’ve ever been there for you.
Jess DobranskyPublished 6 years ago in VivaCutest Supportive Bras for Big Boobs
Ladies and gentlemen, I have big boobs. Like, really big. As in, my largest bra size was a 38L. (No, that's not a typo, there are real L-cup bras.) Nowadays, I'm down to a 36G, which is still apparently pretty darned large since it's close to halfway down the alphabet.
Ossiana TepfenhartPublished 6 years ago in VivaGordis (Fatty)
Yo soy gorda. I am fat. Not always have been. I was actually pretty skinny until the eighth grade. The only other time I was chubby was when I was a baby. Old VHS home footage shows me scooting rather than crawling, and my chubby cheeks were my best features. My nickname was "Gordis," a cute way to say gorda/fat (Anything in Spanish that has endings with -is, -ito, or -ita is meant to be cute). But I have wondered lately when I stopped being called this name that feels, I don't know, good? Warm? Nostalgic? It stopped at some point, before or after I got fat, I honestly don't remember.
Selena VillegasPublished 6 years ago in VivaHow Effective is the Morning After Pill?
The "morning after pill" has become one of the most controversial forms of birth control, primarily because it's been called both ineffective and a form of abortion. However, anyone who's really researched reproductive health can tell you that the morning after pill does not cause abortions, nor is it totally ineffective.
Mackenzie Z. KennedyPublished 6 years ago in VivaThe Sexuality of Shame as My Mother Taught Me
It feels shitty to think about even, much less write down and share with the whole Internet community. But alas here it is, my recognition of how my dear old mom managed to fuck me up more than society would have ever managed to.
Little WandererPublished 6 years ago in VivaI Think You're Fat... I Can't Date You
Everyone has a type. It’s normal to be attracted to different body types, different colored hair and so on. But when does it go from “you are not my type” to a completely rude and bully-like statement? How many of us have experienced shaming only because of the sole appearance of, well, YOU.
Dasha IlazarovaPublished 6 years ago in Viva