[Vah – Gi – Nah]
Did you wince?
Do you feel uncomfortable about it?
Did you click on this post just to confirm your disgust?
Did you click on this post because you never see the word ‘vagina‘ in your newsfeed? You probably don’t.
If you can’t say the word ‘vagina,” how can you take your body seriously – and why should others?
‘Love Letters’ is a Petal + Sass blog feature that regularly asks a group of diverse women in their 20’s and 30’s about their experiences with health, sex, emotional wellness, body image, college, careers – and what they wish they had known themselves as teenagers. Visit the ‘Love Letters’ To My Former Self page to learn more about the contributors.
Question posed: How did you feel about your body as a teenager? How has your body changed over the last 10 years? Has your body perception changed as you got older?
A genuinely shocking headline made waves last month; and then, just as suddenly, disappeared quietly under the water. Self harm- suicide- is the leading cause of death of girls between the ages of 15 and 19 worldwide. Why aren’t we all talking about this?
Don’t make that face.
On the heels of Menstrual Hygiene Day (it’s a real life, pretty bad-ass thing- don’t make that face!) it seems appropriate to meet your maker and take a fresh look at the red tie that binds- the almighty period- and how it affects women all over the globe.
The most flattering filter of all
Thinking about sharing that skin-selfie with a significant other? Consider just a few teensy points before you hit send.
The media (what you see on tv, in magazines, and in theaters) is a wildly messy and confusing melting pot of body shaming, unrealistic expectations, social and sexual pressures, and more than a few heaping tablespoons of misogyny. It’s hard to find a plot that doesn’t involve the abuse of women in some way, and yet it is simultaneously glamorized and glossed over to make us all think “should I be more like that?”
Just because it’s fun doesn’t mean it’s not a work out.
School is out for summer, but keeping yourself active between sports seasons will help you jump right back into the action next fall without breaking a sweat (though sweating is definitely recommended!)
The phrase “slut shaming” often pops up in social media and magazine article commentary. What does this mean and how is it applied to women? And why is it only applied to women and not men, when guys are having just as much sexual interaction?
A recent article in New York Times Magazine explored the changing concept of the word “flaw,” or rather, its more contemporary counterpart, “flawless.”
In no small measure, thanks to feminist icons like Beyonce and Lady Gaga, a curious thing is happening to the meaning of “flawless” – a word meaning “perfect” is evolving before our eyes to mean “different,” “unique,” and, at its core, “imperfectly beautiful.”
What does this mean when you take a deep breath and look in the mirror, often scrutinizing the parts of your body you’d like to change?
What do you see when you in the mirror? A glossy mop of hair (maybe a mess right now); a row of (kinda) pearly teeth (snaggles are super cute); penetrating eyes blinking back at you (where are my contacts!?)
So often we spend time looking at The What. But what about…’The Who’?
Petal + Sass 