LondonKings: Women's Issue

What is the ideal age to use the first bra?

1:02 PM

Is it necessary to wear a bra? My breast is growing, should I use a bra? The suitable age to start wearing a bra is 12 to 14 years.

Adolescence is a stage full of changes that girls begin to experience when their body passes from childhood to adulthood. The breasts develop, the waist and hips take shape, and the hair comes out in armpits, pubic and legs.

What is the ideal age to use the first bra?

Each girl begins to experience these changes at different ages, and although the most common age is about 9 or 10 years, each girl is a world, and not all changes come at once. A good starting point for determining the onset of development is usually the first menstruation.

However, many girls begin to experience some of these changes well before starting their development as is the case of breast growth that in addition to being linked to hormonal development also depend on the constitution and genetics.

There is no real age to start wearing a bra. However, some signs are observed during this period that can help both parents and girls take the first step to choosing the first bra. Dr. Elisa Fernández, inventor of the NihtBra anti- wrinkle bra, points out that "the ideal age to be used is usually between 12 and 14 years old ".

"The first bra for a teenage girl," explains Dr. Elisa Fernández, "is the first step from girl to woman, not just a piece of clothing but represents the beginning of a new stage in her life, in general, it is widely accepted And is accompanied by a certain mental maturity.

During this stage, adolescents begin to become aware of their body and start to worry about their physical appearance, choosing the right bra is an important first step in fostering a healthy self-image and developing a teenager's self-confidence.

Dr. Elisa Fernández gives a series of guidelines when choosing the first bra for a young woman. "It should preferably be made of cotton, with a soft touch, and without seams, there are currently a great variety of models and types of fasteners to cover the different needs of each adolescent," emphasizes the doctor.

Cotton sweater
The bralette of cotton, also known as the classic top, is, perhaps, the model chosen by the girls since it provides subjection and also hides the breasts that begin to be transparent under the clothes. Another option would be a cotton sweater, used as a transition model when they are not yet ready to wear a bra. The sports bra is another of the most chosen options given the need for a sports grip. As the last option is the bra with a hoop, usually choose girls who are more aware of their development and who care more about their body image, although this type of bra can have its cons at such an early age, is perfect for those girls who have Had a more early development.

"It is crucial to choose the right bra size to prevent it from becoming a discomfort for the girl. do not forget that the goal of a bra is first that the young teenagers become accustomed to a garment more to Dress every day and hold the breasts and thus take care of the health of the breast, "warns Dr. Elisa Fernandez.

"During development, there are some girls who are more reticent and are more timid about breast growth and tend to hide their breasts by pushing their shoulders forward ." That position, warns Dr. Elisa, "can influence the development of the body causing problems of kyphosis that will accompany him throughout his life." The doctor advises using the NightBra bra along with the everyday bra, to act as a postural corrector and avoid future spinal problems.

How to Have Sex

Have Sex During Your Period: Is It Safe to do?

12:53 AM

Can you have sex during a period? Yes, you can. However, some people may feel uncomfortable having sex during a woman's monthly period because it can be messy, and the presence of blood can be off-putting. Some people may also oppose it on religious grounds.

Just because you’re having your period doesn't mean you have to forego sex. For some women, sexual activity during menstruation can be even more pleasurable than at other times of the month.

Also read: How To Have Sex: 8 Ways to Have Sex That Please

There are a few risks associated with having sex during menstruation. HIV and a few other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) may be passed on more easily during a woman's period (both from the woman to the man and vice versa). To avoid catching HIV or other STIs, you should always use a condom when you have sex.

The need for lubrication lessens during your period, and some studies show that sex can soothe period-related symptoms, such as cramps. And a study published in 2013 in Cephalalgia concluded that sexual activity may reduce migraine and cluster headache pain for some.

“Sex is a normal part of life and should be enjoyed by all women,” says Carrie Coleman, MD, an ob/gyn at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. “Basically, ensuring you have good contraception and STI (sexually transmitted infection) prevention throughout the menstrual cycle should make it even more safe and enjoyable.”

But before having sex, make sure you understand the risks of STIs, other infections, and pregnancy — even during your period.

Related: 10 HEALTH BENEFITS OF SEX

Here’s what you need to know about having safe sex during your period.
Infection Risk From Sex During Your Period

It’s crucial to practice safe sex while you’re having your period because you could still get or transmit an STI, like HIV, during this time, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus may be present in menstrual blood. Therefore doctors strongly encourage using a condom to decrease this risk.

Lauren Streicher, MD, associate clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, says that anecdotally speaking, there are two reasons for this risk. “Any bodily fluid can carry HIV or [other] STIs, and [during your period], the cervix opens slightly, which might allow viruses to pass through,” she says. “My message to women is you’re not off the hook as far as using protection.”

Also read: How to get pregnant fast: 6 Easy Tips

You may also be more prone to some infections in general at this time. Your vagina maintains a pH level of 3.8 to 4.5 throughout the month, according to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). But during menstruation, that level rises because of the higher pH level of blood, and yeast is able to grow more rapidly.

Symptoms of a vaginal yeast infection are more likely to occur the week before your menstrual period, and intercourse during this time can exacerbate symptoms. But clear evidence is lacking for any increased risk of getting a yeast infection if you have sex during your period.

There's also the dreaded UTI. “Some women can be more prone to having urinary tract infections after intercourse,” says Dr. Coleman. “But this is more likely related to bacteria being able to easily travel to the bladder with intercourse, but it may happen at any point during the menstrual cycle.”

Risk of Pregnancy During Your Period

Having sex when you’re menstruating will most likely not result in getting pregnant, because you’re usually several days away from ovulating during menstruation. But there are exceptions. If you have a shorter menstrual cycle (21 to 24 days) and you have sex toward the end of your period, sperm can remain viable in your vagina for up to five days, so pregnancy is possible. But this is not an optimal time to try to get pregnant if you’re hoping for a baby.

Less Need for Vaginal Lubrication

You’re less likely to need lubricants if you engage in intercourse during menstruation, because menstrual discharge tends to provide enough lubrication. If you do need a lubricant, then “water-based lubricants are widely available and safe both for sex and for condoms,” says ob/gyn James Simon, MD, clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C. “Silicone and hybrid lubricants that are water-based and silicone-based are likewise safe for both sex and condoms. Oil-based lubricants, especially mineral-oil based lubricants, can deteriorate condoms — increasing the risk of breakage — and are not recommended with latex condoms,” he says.

Also Read: 3 Things To Consider Before Sleeping With Boyfriend

Period Sex as a Pain Reliever

If you experience symptoms such as cramping, feelings of sadness, or depression during your period, having sex at this time may be beneficial. Dr. Streicher says that because orgasms release endorphins — feel good hormones like oxytocin and dopamine — you can theoretically say that they will also decrease some period symptoms. “There’s no harm in trying,” she says.

Also Read: Surprising Health Benefits of Having Sex

Sexual Arousal During Your Period

You may feel more sexually aroused and sensitive during this time of the month because of the changes in your hormone levels. Hall says many women experience an increased feeling of congestion in the pelvic area, which can also ramp up your sex drive. But for some women, this extra sensitivity may make it uncomfortable to have sex during this time. The bottom line is to make sure that both you and your partner are comfortable with the situation. “Don’t assume anything,” Dr. Simon says. “Open questions with honest answers beforehand are paramount.”

Women Health

6 Menstrual Myths Revealed: Women's Health

2:56 PM

By now you've probably heard a lot of different things about your period. While some are clearly old wives' tales, others can be trickier to decipher. Whether you're wondering if it's safe to skip the Pill's placebos or if women in close proximity really do sync up their cycles, we've called in the experts to get to the bottom of some of the biggest menstruation myths out there.

1. Your hormones shift every seven years?

There's no such timetable. Your hormones are always shifting because that's what happens throughout the monthly cycle itself. But big-picture changes are also always going on. "Women's hormones are always shifting because the ovarian reserve [the supply of remaining eggs] gets lower and lower as we age," Nanette Santoro, MD, professor and chair of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Colorado at Denver. The number of eggs in your ovaries in turn affects hormone levels. Specifically, as the number of eggs shrinks, levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)—which helps prompt ovulation—go up. And this can cause your periods to go out of whack.

2. Women who live together often get their periods around the same time?

Yes, and it has to do with pheromones, odorless chemicals that women produce and release. The theory is that our bodies detect and respond to the pheromones of the women around us, and gradually this creates a synchronicity of menstrual cycles. Strangely primitive, but true!

3. You can't get pregnant during your period?

It's unlikely, but not totally impossible. Sperm can, in rare instances, wait for an egg for up to a week. If you have a very short or long cycle, ovulation can happen soon after, or even during, the bleeding phase, which gives sperm the chance to get lucky.

4. It's not safe to take the Pill without a break?

Not true. If you've been getting your period regularly and you don't want to, it's fine to skip it by taking the Pill continuously (no seven-day gaps). Because the Pill contains progesterone-like hormones, it prevents the growth of the uterine lining, so there's no buildup and no lining to be shed. That's why you won't get a period "There is no need healthwise to physically get a period," Dr. Santoro says. What is dangerous is if the lining of your uterus builds up and doesn't shed, since this can put you at risk for a buildup of precancerous cells. So if you're not getting periods and you're not on the Pill, menstruation should be induced at least every three months, says Sharon Mass, MD, a clinical assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at UMDNJ in Newark, New Jersey.

5. Men can get PMS?

No. Men do have their own hormonal rhythms, but not monthly ones like women's. And "their hormones don't fluctuate significantly until they begin to lose testosterone in their 60s," says Michele Curtis, MD, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Texas Houston Medical School.

6. If your mother got severe menstrual cramps, you're likely to get them, too?

Possibly. Doctors say they have seen a generational link, but it isn't clear whether it's conditioning, genetics or both. For some women, "it may have to do with attitude and expectations," says Dr. Curtis. So if you grew up hearing your mother complain about cramps and saw her spend days in bed during her period, you might be more attuned to menstrual pain yourself. But there's no question: "For some women, severe cramping can be very debilitating," says Dr. Curtis. "It's almost like they're going through labor every month." If this happens to you, talk to your doctor about taking oral contraceptives (they can make your periods lighter and less crampy since they stop the uterine lining from getting so thick) or prescription-strength pain relievers.

Quotes

22 Quotes For Women Who Don’t Know Their Place

2:32 PM

Of course I am not worried about intimidating men. The type of man who will be intimidated by me is exactly the type of man I have no interest in. – Chimamanda Adichie

I like to see a young girl go and grab the world by the lapels. Life is a bitch. You’ve got to go out and kick ass. – Maya Angelou

Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim. – Nora Ephron

There is a stubbornness about me that can never bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me. – Jane Austen

The thing women have yet to learn is that nobody gives you power. You just take it. – Roseanne Barr

I will not have my life narrowed down. I will not bow down to somebody else’s whim or to someone else’s ignorance. – bell hooks

Any woman who is sure of her own wits, is a match, at any time, for a man who is not sure of his own temper. – Wilkie Collins

Well-behaved women rarely make history. – (Most likely) Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

Being a woman is in an incredibly difficult task, since it consists principally in dealing with men. – Joseph Conrad

When a man gives his opinion, he’s a man. When a woman gives her opinion, she’s a bitch. – Bette Davis

Responsibility to yourself means refusing to let others do your thinking, talking, and naming for you; it means learning to respect and use your own brains and instincts; hence, grappling with hard work. – Adrienne Rich

The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud. – Coco Chanel

Women hold up half the sky. – Chinese proverb

A woman has to live her life or live to repent not having lived it. – D.H. Lawrence

I do not think, sir, you have any right to command me, merely because you are older than I, or because you have seen more of the world than I have; your claim to superiority depends on the use you have made of your time and experience. – Charlotte Brontë

Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attended. – Marie Curie

We are not interested in the possibilities of defeat, they do not exist. – Queen Victoria

I decided it is better to scream. Silence is the real crime against humanity. – Nadezhda Mandelstam

When we speak we are afraid our words will not be heard or welcomed. But when we are silent, we are still afraid. So it is better to speak. – Audre Lord

A woman is like a tea bag. You never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water. – Eleanor Rooselevelt

You can never be overdressed or overeducated. – Oscar Wilde

There are two powers in the world; one is the sword and the other is the pen. There is a great competition and rivalry between the two. There is a third power stronger than both, that of the women. – Muhhamad Ali Jinah

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