Coming off the pill and the unexpected death of my pussycat has left me wondering what it means to truly love one’s pussy. Throughout my life, caring for my vagina has been about altering its appearance, or concealing its machinations somehow. I’ve been like a Sim waiting for directions. Stories about hair, or lack of…
Read more
This is a tribute to my favourite pussy. A pussy I treated far better than my own. A pussy that taught my partner and I so much and, through his unexpected death this week, has weaved a delicate symmetry between his proud little life and my own mysterious pussy. This pussy was a bit…
Read more
I have reached a new level in this game of Killing Pill. Before me are the gatekeepers who guard the unopened door; the unread chapter; the entrance to another realm of understanding and embodiment. They are moonlit, glowing women, who go by the name of The Fifth Vital Sign (or Kelsey Knight and Emily Varnam)….
Read more
An introduction to contraceptive choices From the Ancient Egyptians’ use of crocodile dung to drinking hot mercury tea in Ancient China, people fearing an extra mouth to feed fretted over the best means to avoid bearing one. Contraception is a global, timeless issue which some big international players – most notably the United Nations –…
Read more
The veil has been lifted this week in No-Pill Land and I’m seeing the world much more clearly. It’s still my subjective experience of this realm we live in called Earth, but I feel awake, engaged and ready for action in it. Hello, good morning, rise and shine, time to get up because…
Read more
Hey, Where the Bloody Hell Are You? Can you see me? I’m waving across a deserted beach but there’s no one here and it looks like there’s no one coming? The sun is shining – surely you’re on your way? I’m trying to smile! I thought you saved me a spot, but you’re not here,…
Read more
My worst fear has come true. I’m free. Coming off the pill has cut this puppet’s strings. But instead of running around gaily, skipping and twirling, I’m lying on the ground, writhing in frustration, trying to figure out how to get up and walk. I’m faced with how uncoordinated I am, and how much I’ve…
Read more
On Wednesday, scientists researching the Zika virus in Brazil announced that more than one mosquito species may be able to transmit the virus, complicating further efforts to contain its spread. Previously, the mosquito species Aedes aegypti had been identified as the primary transmitter of the Zika virus. However, scientists were able to infect another, much more common…
Read more
My sweat patches smell sweeter. My hair is greasier. My orgasms feel deeper. Words are bubbling out. I can’t stop eating tofu. Dogs seem to be barking at me more aggressively. I prefer the scent of the Bulgarian Rose candle to the Almond Milk one, which is very strange. Very strange indeed. My skin is…
Read more
Content warning: eating disorders I have an image of the characters from Reservoir Dogs sitting around a table eating burgers inside my uterus. But instead of having names like Mr White or Mr Pink, they’re Mr Bloating and Mr Blood. And they’re probably ladies, not men. I’ve spent the last week eating metaphorical burgers…
Read more
Fragile: Handle With Care A sinking feeling unrolls itself in my chest and out my eyes when I think of readers who may be experiencing my writing as shaming or ridiculing them. Please forgive me and my work if that has been the case for you. Through choosing a different path from hormonal contraceptives and…
Read more
Join Madeleine Ryan on her personal journey from hormone-controlled fembot to reclaiming who she is, Kill Pill, a new weekly series on Lip. “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. Just ingest it at the same time each day & don’t ask too many questions.” I’m a 27-year-old woman living in rural Victoria….
Read more
‘Larger women have to try harder to look good,’ a stressed and frazzled mother said to her 12-year-old daughter, Rosie*. Rosie was a confident young girl, who embraced her body. She was, however, challenged by her mother’s harsh words. I feel for Rosie, being told the way you feel is not necessarily how you are…
Read more
Honor Jane Newman is a psychologist currently living in Melbourne who has penned a short and easy-to-understand self-help book for women living with perfectionism, anxiety and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Killing the Perfectionist Within is a simple little book that gives the reader an insight into the various symptoms of these conditions and then delves…
Read more
