I think my favorite article this week was about how institutionalized feminism prevents assholes from winning.
What happens when a pick-up artist visits a country where feminism is actually a part of the institutions? He can’t get any respect. Dissent
Refinery29, which, if you haven’t figured out, is one of my favorite blogs, has a roundup of 14 feminists you’ve (probably) never heard of. It’s a fun list, though I’d have liked to see more women of color. Refinery29
We’re pretty big fans of IUDs around these parts. Turns out not a lot of women in the United States realize how awesome these little contraptions are. NPR
I really enjoyed reading about how actress Lupita Nyong’o prepared for the violence of her role in 12 Years a Slave. Colorlines
Fans of theories that center gender around performativity should definitely check out Julia Serano’s challenge to the claim. Advocate
What did you read this week?
8 replies on “Dispatches from Ladyblogland: Yay Feminism”
That article on PUAs in Denmark is gold. GOLD. I”m LOLing all over the place over here.
That thing made my week. Seriously.
So, my nurse prac. (my go-to for yearly gyn. exams) said that since I hadn’t had a kid, an IUD would be more painful to insert and that I would have more negative symptoms. I put the question out on Facebook, and several of my Facebook friends said they either had kids and had an IUD or had been told the same thing by their ob/gyn.
Does anyone have an IUD who hasn’t had kids? Was it painful and did you have negative symptoms (e.g. ongoing cramping, spotting, etc)?
*raises hand* I got a Mirena *counts on fingers* five months ago.
Your nurse practitioner is either lying to you or not up-to-date on the latest research. Try this post:
http://drjengunter.wordpress.com/2011/04/22/4-common-iud-myths-dispelled/
Insertion was painful, but no more than I’d been told to expect, i.e.:
– 3-5 wicked cramps as it went in
– medium period-like on-and-off pain for 24-48 hours, controlled with OTC painkillers
– Occasional twinges for a week after that, nothing long-lasting or needing painkillers
since then, I’ve had no cramps, no bleeding, no spotting, no negative symptoms whatsoever.
The bleeding you’ll get is AFAIK totally unrelated to whether you’ve ever had kids or been pregnant.
http://drjengunter.wordpress.com/2013/05/25/bleeding-after-a-mirena-iud-insertion-what-to-expect/
I have the paraguard and have never had kids. No idea if it was more painful or not (since I have nothing to compare it to), but I will say it was really just like having really bad cramps for a day. It wasn’t the most fun I’ve ever had in my life, but if you’ve ever survived a day with bad cramps while having to keep a smile on your face, that’s pretty much what it was like, which means it’s totally doable. My doc had no trouble inserting it.
I highly recommend looking into an IUD. I chose paraguard because it doesn’t have hormones. I will say that it does make my monthly period heavier, but I didn’t have a very heavy period to begin with, so it’s still very manageable for me. If you normally have a very heavy period, I would look more closely at Mirena.
Thanks; it’s good to know I have the option! I must say the pain factor is a bit daunting seeing as how the pill is pain free…
Ugh. I wish my insurance would help with the cost of an IUD. But it does not. And paying a grand up front is not the easiest thing to do.
I had a friend who recently got an IUD and it was free because of the affordable care act. If you haven’t looked into it recently, you might want to see if that’s changed. I know a lot of birth control options are supposed to be free, but insurance companies found plenty of loopholes. That said, with everything kicking in for the affordable care act, it might worth asking again.