Abortion Facts

Protecting your Sexual Health

One of the webcomics I read, Girls With Slingshots, has been running an arc about getting tested for STIs (and getting pap smears, ladies!) so consider this your reminder to honor your body and protect your sexual (as well as general) health :)

Hilarious Condom Ad

This got sent to me and it pretty much made my day. Enjoy!

Apparently Being a Woman Means Always Being on a Diet

Watch Hot Fudge Sundae for Only in A Woman's World.

You'll laugh out loud when you watch this for the new series Only in a Woman's World.
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After seeing the ad above, I was really pissed off. So, if we eat something that's delicious and decedent, it's understandable if we work out for four hours to counter the calories. Not only is it understandable, it's expected. I don't know about you, but if my friend told me that s/he worked out that long because they ate a sundae, I wouldn't find it understandable or humorous, I'd be concerned. The rest of the site seems to have the same message- women's #1 concern is their bodies and losing weight. The four characters bond over concerns about exercising and food consumption, but not in a way that emphasizes healthfulness, but rather with the motivation of being able to fit into a dress by Friday (as in webisode 9). I understand the website is for lower calorie snacks, so of course that is their emphasis, but I think the way it normalizes an unhealthy relationship with food is concerning. Food intake should not be the center of women's (or men's) lives, yet according to "A Woman's World," that is what being a woman entitles.

Taking Care of Yourself Is Harder Than It Seems

The past few weeks I've been plagued with headaches (and the occasional migraine) almost every day (hence the lack of posting). Although I don't know what exactly is causing the headaches, I'm pretty sure at least one of the factors is stress- after all, I just graduated college, am job hunting and trying to find a place to live all at the same time. To be honest, I'm having a really hard time battling the stress. I know that exercising, eating well and taking time out for myself are all things I should be doing to keep balanced and healthy, but why is that so hard? I know I'm feeling the pressure (self-inflicted, mostly) to do it all at once: find a job, find an apartment and set up my post-college adult life. Clearly, however, the pressure is taking a toll on my health and well-being. How does one strike a balance between achieving one's goals and mentally and physically taking care of oneself? Is it ok to slacken standards? Being a perfectionist and wanting to be the best at everything are aspects of myself I've struggled with all of my life, and even though I'm aware of these tendencies I'm not sure how to effectively combat them. Perhaps I need to start being more conscious in my efforts to start reducing my stress and begin making that a priority in my life.

Spread of the DivaCup

My local grocery store, in addition to organic menstruation products, is now carrying DivaCups. I was surprised but totally thrilled. I've used a MoonCup now for the past 5 cycles or so and absolutely love it. Menstruation cups are not only better for the environment, by reducing the monthly waste pads and tampons create, but are also better for your body, since they do not absorb vaginal fluids, like tampons do. Menstrual cups are not as well known as disposable pads and tampons, but the more people are exposed to alternative medical products, whether because they know someone who uses them or by seeing them on the shelf in the grocery store, the more they will be normalized and, hopefully, used.