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.
Confidence
I don't remember when it happened, but I remember the shift in myself; everything got a little happier, a little brighter, a little better.
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?”
Gabrielle MarysePublished 5 years ago in Viva- Top Story - December 2018
How Cutting My Hair Off Set Me Free
"I'm just not attracted to girls with short hair." This is something that my (now ex) boyfriend said to me during an argument once. I'd just caught him cheating on me and that was his apparent excuse for doing so.
Portgas D. Sara (they/them)Published 5 years ago in Viva Setting Boundaries Around Negative Self-Talk
I had this amazing experience recently, where I was able to catch a glimpse of myself through someone else's eyes for the very first time. And it's a strange thing, because I didn't see me at first.
Paige SanzPublished 5 years ago in VivaThe 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 VivaHow 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 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 VivaBattle Scars
Motherhood. To some it is a blessing; to others a battle. But no matter how many children you have, may it be one or seven, or how many dirty butts and late nights with no sleep there are, mothers endure. So isn’t it about time that we feel like the heroes we are?
Ave RamseyPublished 5 years ago in VivaBody Shaming Needs to End Now
This is a topic that has been difficult for me to write for the mere fact that I do it to myself. I don't know many women or men out there who don't shame their bodies from time to time. Dealing with that could be an article all on its own. With us being so hard on ourselves, what happens when someone else criticizes our appearance? This is going to be a hard truth for some people to digest, but we have all judged someone based off of their appearance. Whether it be clothes, facial features, weight, height, etc., no one is innocent. You might not say it to their face, but you have had those ugly thoughts pop up. Is that wrong?
Ashlyn HarperPublished 5 years ago in VivaBody Love
I remember waking up one morning, wearing nothing but a long t-shirt and panties, my hair curly and wild from tossing and turning all night. My face was nude, with nothing covering up my slight blemishes and mild redness that forever colors my cheeks.
Carmen MarshallPublished 6 years ago in VivaBeing the Fat Girl in 2018
Often I find myself being the fattest person in the room. It's fine, I've been this way for long enough that I can dodge the looks I get from thin people, old men, and of course, all the children. When you've been the fat girl your entire life, there are plenty of obstacles you just have to jump over. It's part of living in a society where a burger is $1 and a salad will cost you $5. As the resident fat girl, you just get used to things.
Waverleigh Rose GarlingtonPublished 6 years ago in VivaProlapse
I want to bloom like this flower 🌸Live life without care and enjoy my children each day. That's what I have always wanted and it is what I did do until... one day... searing pain inside my lady parts. I just didn't understand what was happening. I gave birth 12 months ago and developed what I thought were hemorrhoids. As most of you probably know, this is nothing unusual whilst pregnant or even after childbirth. But little did I know.