Female Body Research Articles

The Vulva Dialogues: The Sexual-Bodily Experience of Cisgender Women

Sexuality is an essential part of our lives. Despite being personal, it is deeply impacted by our culture and social scripts. Thus, the sexual-bodily experience of the cisgender woman relates to her life experiences through her body. Nonetheless, the female body is often subjected to prejudice, stigma, and misconceptions, driving women into genital alienation. There is plenty of misinformation on the vulva and the clitoris, even within the scientific community, which not only contributes to many women’s unawareness of their own bodies, but also puts their health at risk in the hands of poorly trained surgeons. Furthermore, the sexual-bodily experience of the cisgender woman is commonly observed from a phallocentric perspective, which tends to override and neglect her agency. My research seeks to analyse the most relevant aspects of the sexual-bodily experience of Portuguese cisgender women who date mostly men, focusing on their relationship with their vulva, their clitoris, and their sexual pleasure. I also want to identify the role of medicine and health professionals in that relationship, within the Western medicine perspective of the female body. The fieldwork is being carried out by qualitative methods, divided into three parts: 1) a minimum of 15 semi-structured, in-depth interviews with health professionals (gynaecologists, gynaecological surgeons, and sex therapists) working in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (LMA); 2) a minimum of 15 in-depth interviews via the Biographic-Narrative Interpretative Method (BNIM) with Portuguese cisgender women residing in the LMA who date mostly men; and 3) a review of how female genitalia are portrayed in anatomy books used in Portugal’s top medical schools. Therefore, I aim to understand how centuries of control over the female body and decades of medicalization of female sexuality have impacted the corporeality and sexuality of Portuguese cisgender women, to contribute to an in-depth debate on such matters in Sociology.

Wonder Woman on Screen: From Feminist Symbol to Stereotypical Figure

Wonder Woman, a founding female figure in superhero fiction, was initially celebrated as a symbol of women’s empowerment in the 1970s but faced criticism in the 2010s for embodying fetishized objectification. This article aims to explore the gender representation of the 1970s TV series Wonder Woman and the 2010s Wonder Woman movie through a feminist approach. The portrayal of Wonder Woman in the TV series challenged the traditional stereotypes of femininity and the subordinary roles of women under patriarchy at that time. The Wonder Woman movie, however, lacked diversity under an intersectional framework and signified the beauty myth for male pleasure, which undermined her validity as a feminist icon. Through close analysis, it is revealed that the white feminist privilege and fetish fashion of superheroines traditionally recognized as feminist icons are problematic, calling for more scholarly attention on discriminatory gender representation in contemporary popular culture.

Wage Discrimination Against Women PAUD Teachers

PAUD instructors typically work with a female student body. This is because, from a societal standpoint, women are viewed as kind, meticulous people, making this work appropriate for them. PAUD instructors are entitled to a wage structure that guarantees their economic and social well-being until their earnings are insufficient. In terms of norms, the government has established laws that ensure the rights of all workers; nonetheless, social differences in women's earnings continue to exist. It would, therefore, remain challenging to address the issue of PAUD teachers' low pay if the regulations are set solely by statutory regulations and no steps are taken to ensure its implementation.

Determination of anthropometric measurements and their application in the development of clothing sizing systems for women in the regions of the Republic of Croatia

Abstract The aim of this article is to determine the differences in the physical dimensions of the female body that form the basis of the clothing size system and compare their deviations within the three regions of the Republic of Croatia. Due to the changes in the dimensions and shape of the human body, there is a need to adjust clothing in order to achieve the best possible fit. A systematic consideration of the fit of clothing includes investigation of a number of elements and factors, especially those based on anthropometric knowledge. The results of anthropometric measurements performed on a representative sample determine the body dimensions of the measured population. By sorting and grouping the data of body measurements, clothing sizes are created, with significant differences in body shape and body proportions of individual population groups. In the clothing size system, individual body dimensions define the clothing size and form a scale determined by a norm that prescribes body shape based on two dimensions of girths, where the measurement of bust girth is the basic measurement, and the body height is the dependent variable. This research was carried out on a sample of 940 women from the region of Slavonia, 1,109 women from the region of Dalmatia, and 799 women from the City of Zagreb, classified into seven age groups. The statistical processing of the results, i.e., the method of principal components, the values of the observed body measurements, and the representation of certain categories of bust girth and body size in the measured population of each region were determined.

‘Keeping up with the Korean Yeojas’: the paradox of Korean women’s participation of aesthetic exercise in contemporary Korea

Over the past decade, there has been a noticeable increase in the engagement of Korean women (‘yeoja’ in Korean translation) in physical activities. Despite discussions emphasizing active exercise and fitness, motivations for women’s participation have often been centered around weight management and dieting. This study explores the experiences of Korean women participating in aesthetic exercise – physical activities such as yoga, Pilates, and pole fitness which focus on female-appropriate weight management. Aesthetic exercise participation emerges as a complex and paradoxical phenomenon, blending feminized workouts, ideal body images, and individual aspirations to attain social standards. Participants express ambivalence, viewing exercise as both a ‘healthy way of losing’ and a means to ‘keep up with’ societal ideals of the female body. Thus, it highlights the intricate interplay between societal expectations, personal goals, and the pursuit of an envisioned ideal, offering insights into the dynamic nature of women’s involvement in aesthetic exercise in the Korean context.

The Female Body and Consumerism: an Ecofeminist Reading of the Vegetarian by Han Kang and the Edible Woman by Margaret Atwood

This research paper studies the female body as a battleground in a consumerist culture. It highlights the intersection of female oppression, consumerism, and environmental exploitation through an ecofeminist lens. The paper proves how societal expectations and consumer culture objectify and commodify women's bodies. Focusing on Margaret Atwood’s The Edible Woman and Han Kang’s The Vegetarian, this work aims to shed light on how the society dictates women’s life and their choices. It also draws parallels between nature and women, and their exploitation. The essay will use an ecofeminist framework to argue that the control exerted over women's bodies and the exploitation of the natural world are both products of the same patriarchal and capitalist structures. It will explore how both novels challenge these structures and offer a vision of a future where women and nature are valued and respected.

Female Lower Body Muscle Forces: A Musculoskeletal Modeling Comparison of Back Squats, Split Squats and Good Mornings.

The aim of this study was to analyze lower leg muscle forces during strength exercises such as back squats, good mornings and split squats, with a particular emphasis on females. By focusing on females, who are more vulnerable to anterior cruciate ligament injuries, we aimed to better understand muscle engagement and its role in injury prevention. Eight participants were monitored during exercises with a barbell load of 25% of body weight and, during the back squat, an additional 50% load. The analysis was conducted using personalized musculoskeletal models, electromyography (EMG) and Vicon motion capture systems to assess various muscle groups, including the m. gluteus maximus and m. gluteus medius, as well as the hamstring and quadriceps muscles. The back squat produced the highest forces for the quadriceps muscles, particularly the rectus femoris (>25 N/kg), as well as in the back leg during the split squat (>15 N/kg). The gluteal muscles were most active during good mornings and in the front leg of the split squat, especially the m. gluteus maximus medial part (>20 N/kg). The hamstrings generated the highest muscle forces in the front leg of the split squat, with the greatest forces observed in the m. semimembranosus. Our research highlights how musculoskeletal modeling helps us to understand the relationship among muscles, joint angles and anterior cruciate ligament injury risks, especially in strength training females. The results emphasize the need for personalized exercise guidance and customized models to make strength training safer and more effective.

Ultrasound Morphometry of the Pelvic Floor Muscles in Women of Reproductive Age

Biometric studies in nulliparous women conducted to date are limited by small sample sizes. The pelvic floor muscles perform an important function throughout a woman’s life. They provide fixation and maintenance of the pelvic organs, stretches during childbirth, ensuring the formation of the birth canal, and are a potential site for the formation of a hernia in the female body. Impaired function of this muscle group can lead to either excessive muscle contraction (chronic pelvic pain syndrome) or excessive stretching (pelvic organ prolapse). The purpose of the study is to assess the morphometric properties of the pelvic floor muscles in nulliparous women using 3D ultrasound scanning (sonography). Material and methods. The observation group consisted of 60 women of middle reproductive age who applied for an appointment with an obstetriciangynecologist with complaints of pain of various types localized in the perineum and pelvis, decreased desire and quality of sexual life, clinically confirmed by a diagnosis of incompetence of the pelvic floor muscles. The control group consisted of 30 women without dysfunction of the pelvic floor muscles according to clinical examination. The main criterion for inclusion of patients in the study was reproductive age - 18–45 years and natural childbirth in obstetric and gynecological history. Results. We found that the absence of visible sonographic markers of changes in the myofascial structures of the pelvis is not a prognostically significant criterion for muscle dysfunction, since predominantly changes in morphometric parameters are a reliable sign of the formation of pelvic floor muscle failure. Conclusion. The ultrasound morphometry method, which allows one to assess dynamic changes in the size of muscle and fascial structures, can be used in the clinical practice of an obstetrician-gynecologist. Early diagnosis of a violation of the structure of pelvis myofascial complex will allow early implementation of measures aimed at prevention and timely treatment.

Preventing eating pathology among elite adolescent ballet dancers: a pilot trial of the Athlete Body Project

ABSTRACT Adolescent ballet dancers are commonly recognized as aesthetic athletes who are at higher risk for body dissatisfaction, disordered eating, and eating disorders. Although athletic participation can generally protect against negative mental and physical health outcomes, idealization of a body ideal specific to ballet can confer unique vulnerability for eating pathology. Despite this known vulnerability, rigorous efforts to prevent eating pathology among young dancers are lacking. Previously, we reported on a trial of the Female Athlete Body Project adapted for professional female ballet dancers. The current study tested a subsequent adaptation, the Athlete Body Project (ABP), tailored for younger dancers, including a version for boys. This non-randomized, uncontrolled pilot trial tested ABP among boys and girls in two elite ballet schools (N = 23), formatted in-person and via video-conferencing. Program delivery met benchmarks for feasibility and acceptability across gender and delivery formats, and dancers provided positive qualitative feedback. Overall results suggest the potential of ABP in intervening on pre-post eating pathology and body appreciation, and significantly decreasing drive for muscularity among young ballet dancers. Taken together, this pilot work addresses a gap in the field and advances the needed development of eating disorder prevention programming for young, high-risk aesthetic athletes.

Ritual as image

AbstractDrawing on ethnographic fieldwork in the central Indian cotton belt, I examine two historical moments: (1) the expansion of agrarian capitalism and absorption of market logics into the peasant household in the colonial period; and (2) changes in seed technology and gendered labor required for cultivating hybrid cotton in the postcolonial era. Through these transformations, cotton farmers have maintained a harvest ritual in the fields. Through a comparison of contemporary and historical versions of this ritual, a new theory of ritual emerges, one that displaces the primacy of the linguistic sign, instead considering the semiotic force of the image. Ritual, in this rendering, is not only a material archive of social history but also an aesthetic and creative practice through which women farmers sacralize their own labor. Amid transforming regimes of cash‐crop agriculture, the ritual situates regimes of cotton growing in the bodily and affective labor of the female farming body.

Effect of anti-Müllerian hormone on early pregnancy loss in hormone replacement therapy-frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles: An analysis including 6597 pregnant patients undergoing their first invitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycle.

To investigate the relationship between anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) level and early pregnancy loss in patients who underwent their first embryo transfer by hormone replacement therapy-frozen-thawed embryo transfer (HRT-FET) and analyze the threshold effect. A retrospective cohort analysis was performed on pregnant women undergoing HRT-FET at the Reproductive Medical Center of Henan Provincial People's Hospital from January 2016 to December 2021. The patients were divided into four groups based on AMH concentration according to the Poseidon criteria: group A (≤1 μg/L), group B (1-≤2 μg/L), group C (2-≤6 μg/L), and group D (>6 μg/L). Univariate analysis, multivariate logistic regression analysis, smooth curve fitting, and threshold effect analysis were applied to investigate the influence of AMH on the outcome of early pregnancy loss in invitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection and HRT-FET cycles. Of the 6597 pregnant women, early pregnancy loss occurred in 893, giving an early pregnancy loss rate of 13.54%. Univariate regression analysis demonstrated that age, female body mass index, AMH, antral follicle count, endometrial thickness at endometrial transformation day, total retrieved oocyte number, number of pregnancies, duration of infertility, type of infertility, and the number of embryos transferred were all factors influencing the early pregnancy loss rate (P < 0.050). Multivariate logistic regression analysis, after adjusting for confounders, further stratified the analysis of patients of different ages. With group A as the control group, the results showed that when age was younger than 35 years, the pregnancy loss rates in groups B, C, and D were lower than that in group A, with statistical significance (P < 0.050); when age was 35 years or older, there was no statistically significant difference in outcome indicators between the groups (P > 0.050). A threshold effect analysis revealed that the AMH threshold was 2.83 μg/L. When the AMH concentration was less than 2.83 μg/L, the early pregnancy loss rate decreased significantly with increasing AMH concentration; the early pregnancy loss rate decreased by 21% for each unit increase in AMH (odds ratio 0.79; 95% confidence interval 0.71-0.88; P < 0.001); when the AMH concentration was 2.83 μg/L or more, there was no statistical difference in the change in early pregnancy loss rate (odds ratio 1.01; 95% confidence interval 0.99-1.03; P = 0.383). For pregnant women after their first embryo transfer, there is a curvilinear relationship between the influences of AMH levels on early pregnancy loss rates in patients younger than 35 years. When the AMH level was less than 2.83 μg/L, the early pregnancy loss rate declined significantly with increasing AMH levels.

DOPPELTE BRECHUNGEN: DAS ‘DURCHS‐FERNGLAS‐SCHAUEN’ IN STIFTERS FRÜHEN ERZÄHLUNGEN

ABSTRACTThis article explores the extent to which the use of the optical medium of binoculars in Der Condor and Der Hochwald reflects the experience of a paradigmatically new way of seeing. In Der Condor, the refractive power of ‘Durchs‐Fernglas‐Schauen’ is demonstrated by means of a kaleidoscopic fragmentation of the narrative perspective. The portrayal of the hot air balloon ride at the beginning of the story gives tragic evidence of the loss of the beloved as well as of the loss of an overall sense of perception due to the crossing of gazes that are technically mediated. An emancipatory aspect is expressed in that it is a female figure who becomes aware of the ‘transzendentale Obdachlosigkeit’ of modern man. The catastrophe perceived technically from a distance in Der Hochwald raises the question of the fundamental possibilities of representation. The experience of seeing, re‐created here from a narratorical point of view, is a dynamic process of de‐ and restructuring storytelling itself, anticipating moments of non‐representational strategies in the literary modernism of the twentieth century.

Pursuance of a Yoruba name for cervical cancer in Southwest Nigeria: a case study

ObjectivesParticipants’ comprehension of research process affects the quality of research output, which is the reason why translation of research instruments into local languages is standard practice. Literature has consistently reported...

INSTAGRAM AND REALITY: INSTAGRAM NARRATIVES OF AMELIA ULMAN AND ABDOU DIOUF

The use of social media tools with a visual interface has become an integral part of daily life. This has resulted in the rise of selfies, which are personal photographs posted on social media platforms. Instagram is one of the social media platforms where images or selfies from daily life are shared. The authenticity or reality of the personalities, selves and lives portrayed on social media platforms such as Instagram, especially through selfies, has brought about various debates. At the same time, the use of social media in art as a subject or medium due to such features adds a different dimension to this situation. The potential of an artistic project to manipulate reality through selfie photographs reveals the importance of this study. Based on this point, this study aims to question how real the selves and lives presented on social media platforms are, especially in the case of Instagram, one of the most popular social media channels. Two projects produced with two different artistic concerns that allow this were selected as a sample. Among the social media platforms, Amelia Ulman's Excellences and Perfection Project, which highlights the social domination of the female body through the posts made on her Instagram account, and the profile posts opened in the name of Abdou Diouf, which tells the story of a migrant's journey of hope from Africa to Spain, which was created for the promotional film of the Getxophoto Photography Festival. In this research, which is based on the discourses of Jean Baudrillard, Erving Goofman and Hal Niedzviecki together with the samples, it has been found that social media transforms the identities that individuals create or want to create in the online environment into hyperreality by going beyond rational reality.

Using 3D design technology and a combination of carbon fiber and 16% HGM epoxy resin, female troops are wearing bulletproof vests

Women are becoming more active in the defense industry. Since the morphology of the female body differs from that of the male during military activities, it is required to modify personal protection equipment to accommodate the female body shape. According to a literature review, a survey of a sample of female soldiers from different nations revealed that they felt the impacts of breast soreness when running, as well as a sense of "distorted breasts" and breathing difficulties. The woman's petite frame and the bulky, hefty bulletproof jacket both draw criticism for their respective dimensions. Using 3D design technology, a female mannequin with a 95B breast size was scanned in order to create a bullet-proof vest that is tailored to the contour of a woman's body. Changes in the breast's contour, which affect changes in the surface point parameters, result in adaptive breasts. Utilizing a combination of carbon fiber and 16% HGM epoxy, bullet-proof vests can be modified to provide lightweight dimensions and have the benefit of good ballistic resistance. This results in a material that is 20 mm for thick, 1,348 kg in weight, and capable of absorbing 348.27 Joules of energy from bullets. The results of this research are not optimal, so developments are needed in further research.

재난 서사에 내재된 공포 정치와 젠더 레짐

By analyzing the politics of fear in the narrative of disasters kind of infectious diseases and the gender regime that is practiced within social constructs, we can critically explore the everyday discrimination inherent in communities and the sense of place where members are separated. Furthermore, in order to create a healthy society that recognizes the value and diversity of human beings, violent discriminatory behavior within gendered organizations must be examined from a gender perspective. In this study, focusing on Jung Yoo-jung's novel “28” and Choi Jin-young's “To the Warm Horizon”, we will examine the narrative aspect of discourse on the risk of life as a threat of gender in order to have power in a disaster situation. It aims to raise a problematic awareness of the political act of creating fear by instrumentalizing the risk of infection and segregating the sex differences written on the body by dividing them into classes. In the two novels, after the spread of the epidemic, gendered women are confined to a defined sphere and marginalized in a limited role in the public sphere. However, the author attempts to deconstruct the power structure within the community that sexually exploits women's bodies by depicting the future of humanity through a system of domination and obedience. The novel point out the contradictions of the heterosexual patriarchal system by ideally portraying the restoration of relationships formed on empathy and love by rejecting masculinity in which the female body is disciplined. In the end, the novel emphasizes that the logic of power or the predominance of power in the private/public sphere is not the orientation of a positive community that sustains life. Emphasizing that the communal value, which is closer to hope than the disciplinary power that oppresses others, is the sentiment of caring to respect each other and live together as it is, the author embodies the gender regime as a social practice in the novel.

Hormonal Basis of Biological Sex Differences in Human Athletic Performance.

Biological sex is a primary determinant of athletic human performance involving strength, power, speed, and aerobic endurance and is more predictive of athletic performance than gender. This perspective article highlights 3 key medical and physiological insights related to recent evolving research into the sex differences in human physical performance: (1) sex and gender are not the same; (2) males and females exhibit profound differences in physical performance with males outperforming females in events and sports involving strength, power, speed, and aerobic endurance; (3) endogenous testosterone underpins sex differences in human physical performance with questions remaining on the roles of minipuberty in the sex differences in performance in prepubescent youth and the presence of the Y chromosome (SRY gene expression) in males, on athletic performance across all ages. Last, females are underrepresented as participants in biomedical research, which has led to a historical dearth of information on the mechanisms for sex differences in human physical performance and the capabilities of the female body. Collectively, greater effort and resources are needed to address the hormonal mechanisms for biological sex differences in human athletic performance before and after puberty.

With or without you: gut microbiota does not predict aggregation behavior in European earwig females

Abstract The reasons why some individuals are solitary, and others gregarious are the subject of ongoing debate as we seek to understand the emergence of sociality. Recent studies suggest that the expression of aggregation behaviors may be linked to the gut microbiota of the host. Here, we tested this hypothesis in females of the European earwig. This insect is ideal for addressing this question, as adults both naturally vary in the degree to which they live in groups and show interindividual variation in their gut microbial communities. We video-tracked 320 field-sampled females to quantify their natural variation in aggregation and then tested whether the most and least gregarious females had different gut microbiota. We also compared the general activity, boldness, body size, and body condition of these females and examined the association between each of these traits and the gut microbiota. Contrary to our predictions, we found no difference in the gut microbiota between the most and least gregarious females. There was also no difference in activity, boldness, and body condition between these two types of females. Independent of aggregation, gut microbiota was overall associated with female body condition, but not with any of our other measurements. Overall, these results demonstrate that a host’s gut microbiota is not necessarily a major driver or a consequence of aggregation behavior in species with inter-individual variation in group living and call for future studies to investigate the determinants and role of gut microbiota in earwigs.

The Concept of Gender and Representation of Women in Advertisements

The concept of marketing is explained as the activity of creating, pricing, distributing and promoting products, services and ideas to enable businesses to achieve their goals. One of the most important tools of promotion within these activities is advertising. Female figures, defined as an indispensable element of advertising, appear as both the initiators and the influencers of the change activity. Feminist advertising, also known as femvertising, which has been frequently encountered in recent years, is one of the advertising activities that place the female figure in the subject position. Feminist advertising is accepted as an example of advertising that emphasizes the power of women in advertising in modern societies and the departure from the traditional male-female role distribution. The concept of gender, which is determined based on the general acceptance of society, determines the place of women in commercial films and shapes women. In the study, the commercial films that won awards in the Mixx Award competition in 2022 under the title of gender equality were examined with semiotic analysis. The first of the commercials is the commercial of the Mor Çatı association, which includes Psychological and Economic Violence Against Women. It has been determined that there are many embedded messages in the commercials of the relevant association. In the other commercial analyzed, titled A Daughter Changes, the World Changes, the message that girls' education is at the request of their father, that is, a man, draws attention.

Encoding material female bodies through cosmetic surgeries: a study of cultural economy and the biometric dynamics of Indian Hindi film stars

The emergence of new body technologies has led to the deconstruction of a cosmetically enhanced celebrity body into a bioinformational data-self, which becomes a surveilled subject quantified through biometric proximity....