I had no idea I was experiencing bisexual confusion at the time, with the blood rushing to where I had not yet experienced before or remembered feeling. Fireworks exploding in my brain and from my age, probably pants with the day of the week printed onto its cotton. It is not an aesthetic sexual awakening which could be illustrated or included in a coming-of-age Indie … Continue reading Sexual Awakenings
I think itÔÇÖs too bad that Netflix only released ÔÇÿSex EducationÔÇÖ in 2019. It would have saved me a lot of embarrassing Google searches and maybe even have dispelled some of the stigma around the big S-E-X and all matters associated with it. Created by Laurie Nunn, ÔÇÿSex EducationÔÇÖ takes viewers to Moordale Secondary School, whereÔÇö in the words of Eric Eong ÔÇöÔÇ£everyone is either … Continue reading Is the Netflix Series, ‘Sex Education’ really Sexually Educational?
Interview conducted by Hope Docherty I had been trying to guess and shop for my own bra size before I finally made time to get properly fitted in Bravissimo, Cardiff. The last time I had been fitted was when I was 16, and I was now 21. During this first experience at 16, the person fitting me had seen my bare breasts and I had … Continue reading Bravo to Bravissimo
By Amy Leadbitter So, what makes the perfect fit? What makes a bra just right? Bras seem to be the bane of many peopleÔÇÖs existence. Feeling uncomfortable, with digging straps and a sore back. What if it didnÔÇÖt have to be this way? Unfortunately, research suggests almost 80% of people are wearing the wrong size bra. It is something many wear every day for the … Continue reading Goldilocks and the World of Bras
Friendship breakups on occasion hurt more than romantic ones do. Is it that something goes fatally wrong or do people simply just grow apart? My best-friend cheated on me. The man involved is irrelevant, I did not care about what he did, I was already done with him. It was her. Her choice of him over me, her dismissal of why I was upset, the … Continue reading Platonic Breakups
By Amy Leadbitter TW: talk of body image, weight gain and loss. ÔÇÿSecond PubertyÔÇÖ ÔÇô never heard of it? Me neither, until I started experiencing it. What I had always been told was that you went through the magical process of puberty during your teen years and then came out the other side as your adult self with your new adult body. So, imagine my … Continue reading Relationship with Self- Second Puberty
Written by Niladri Singh Rajput Graphic* by Maja Metera If there is a common thread that holds most living beings together, then that thread is this feeling we call love. It has for generations governed the world, our believes and all of the people. The ways in which we show love is different for each one of us. We are great lovers, all of us, … Continue reading How Our Cultural Backgrounds Shape Our Perception of Love
Written by: Niladri Singh Illustration by: Summer Griffin When you ask yourself this question, what is the immediate answer that you┬áreceive?┬áThe┬áinstant,┬ánaked, whole truth.┬áOften, that is the┬áanswer that should guide you forwards in this next phase┬áin your lives,┬áwith or without each other.┬á┬á Every relationship is different because┬áevery human being is different┬áand this is why the choices people make and the way people react to their┬ásituations differs … Continue reading Will We Survive a Year Apart?
By Hope Docherty Everyone has their own unique monthly menstruation though often it is not as simple as Mother NatureÔÇÖs calling. Cardiff students: Victoria Causley, Charlotte Hetherington and Hope Docherty have dedicated Instagram pages to educate on menstrual health. All three pages have a focus on conditions that can come with menstruation such as: Endometriosis, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Irritable Bowel symptoms and the impact these … Continue reading Meet the Cardiff Students Using Their Social Media Platforms in the Name of Menstruation
By Martha Jennings for the Period Dignity Campaign Recently, I have found myself having increased conversations about sustainable period products starting with, ÔÇ£Have you tried a menstrual cup?ÔÇØ, ÔÇ£Have you tried reusable pads?ÔÇØ. Honestly, it was not until this year that I discovered sustainable period products myself. With my eco-conscious mindset, I started questioning how I could reduce the waste created by the disposable products … Continue reading Sustainable Period Products: The Fight Against Plastic | Period Dignity Campaign
Written by: Anonymous Illustration by: Summer Griffin Virgin. What a weird thing to out yourself as, right? ÔÇÿFrigidÔÇÖ, ÔÇÿundesirableÔÇÖ, ÔÇÿunattractiveÔÇÖ. IÔÇÖm 19, one year into University, and IÔÇÖve never had sex. Better yet, IÔÇÖve never even had so much as a relationship. Before Uni and living through the past year, I was an odd kid. I was confident and easy-going but I never made the … Continue reading University Through the Eyes of a Virgin
By Hope Docherty Those who menstruate will spend roughly 10 years of their lifetime bleeding. Bleeding of course being their period and not a slice to the finger whilst chopping some vegÔǪ But with this fact why do so many of us feel uncomfortable talking about our ÔÇÿtime of the monthÔÇÖ, namely at a younger age? It is bizarre that we mostly teach ourselves that … Continue reading Beat The Stigma: Menstruation and the “Period Dignity” Campaign
By Sasha Nugara Shadowbanning, also known as stealth banning and ghost banning, has been around since the 1980ÔÇÖs and is used to block comments and posts by certain users. Recently on Instagram, many accounts that use the platform for sex work and education have found their accounts have been shadow banned, limiting their reach and customer base. Despite the fact that this shadow banned content … Continue reading Shadowbanning: Instagram’s Sexual Content Policy Endangers Sex Education
By Rahima Bhatti ÔÇ£ArenÔÇÖt you a bit young for that girls?ÔÇØ A middle-aged man smirks at me at age 15, standing outside school, holding hands with my girlfriend. It makes my skin feel like itÔÇÖs going to turn inside out, but I just smile in hope that heÔÇÖll leave us alone. These experiences stick with you, they ingrain themselves in your consciousness, making every man … Continue reading I Am Not Your Porn Tag – The Weight of Bisexual Fetishisation
By Kate Waldock Sex work is the trade of money (or goods) for consensual sexual services. The key word here is consensual. The conflation of sex work and trafficking has been extremely damaging, and exploitation of the underage or non-consensual is not to be compared to sex work. You will have no doubt heard the statement that ÔÇ£prostitution is the oldest professionÔÇØ. Sex work can be traced throughout history, … Continue reading OnlyFans: Interview With a Content Creator
words by: Sarah Mason New people are exciting, new sex is exciting, and new relationships are perhaps the most exciting. Not only do you get to discover another person, but through your experiences, you also learn about yourself, your desires, your needs, and your boundaries. In the midst of these blooming connections, youÔÇÖll eventually reach the infamous point of ÔÇÿthe talkÔÇÖ. Maybe scary, but oh … Continue reading ‘So what are we?’: Exploring Labels and Self-Advocacy in Relationships
By Emily Bryant With LGBTQ+ History Month upon us, myself and my fellow members of the community can take time to commemorate those who helped shape the culture that we know and love today. Since 2003, LGBTQ+ people have been able to use the whole month of February to learn about and honour figures and events of queer history. Such celebrations, however, are not present … Continue reading Queer History in Schools? Why We Still Need LGBTQ+ History Month
Image by Anna Kerslake- @starryeyeddoodles By Maja Metera Th issue of misrepresentation has been studied by researchers for probably just as long as the area of media studies exist. It has covered various types of sexual and racial minoritiesÔÇÖ portrayal in media. This text ÔÇô in a less scholarly but not less educational way ÔÇô will try to explain how film and TV mistreats BDSM … Continue reading How Media Did BDSM Dirty
Illustrations by Rahima Bhatti, @rahima.creative on Instagram Valentine’s Day is a difficult day for a lot of people. The pressure to be happy and in love can really take a toll on your mental health. Today we wanted to give you some advice for ways to look after yourself, and put you first this Valentine’s Day. Catarina Vicente’s Advice As everything else this year, ValentineÔÇÖs … Continue reading How to Look After Your Mental Health This Valentine’s Day
Finding inspiration for what to do on Valentine’s day is never easy and this year, with lockdown, there are extra obstacles in the way of having a fun Valentine’s. We asked our contributors to give us their ideas for the best ways to spend Valentine’s day whilst respecting measures in place. Here’s what they had to say: Spa and Cocktail Night By Shannon Bowes-Cavanagh A … Continue reading How to Spend Valentine’s in Lockdown
