#internal structure of uterus

[fidicuswomen]

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Stucture and Funtion of Uterus Related To Uterine Fibroids | Treatment Cure Gynaecology Women Female

In this video, we delve into the structure and function of the uterus and how uterine fibroids affect its normal operations. We explain the layers of the uterus, the role of the endometrium, myometrium, and serosa, and how fibroids, which are non-cancerous growths, can impact fertility, menstruation, and overall uterine health. Understanding the anatomy and physiology of the uterus is key to grasping the causes and effects of uterine fibroids.

Dr. Bharadwaz | Gynaecology Women Female | Health & Fitness | Homeopathy, Medicine & Surgery | Clinical Research

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[batmanisagatewaydrug]

i know theres also a structural component to the uterus being there (famously the internal organs are packed in there pretty close), i wonder if it would be doable to just. stick in an implant. a cool bag full of slime to keep your other guts from sliding around.

my mom has been pretty structurally fine since she got hers out but I'll check and see if she'd be interested in going back for a slime apparatus

[evidence-based-activism]

I’m really tired of seeing all the ‘PCOS is an intersex disorder’ posts and think they’re extremely offensive to women with PCOS.

Please can you clarify that it is not (or if it miraculously is, I guess.)

Hello! You're correct PCOS is not an "intersex disorder".

First, what is an "intersex disorder"?

Currently, to my knowledge, there's a shift towards using disorders/differences of sex development (DSDs) rather than "intersex".

A DSD is a very specific group of medical conditions which is "restricted to those conditions in which chromosomal sex is inconsistent with phenotypic sex, or in which the phenotype is not classifiable as either male or female" [1].

The possible point of confusion is "phenotypic sex", in this context, this refers to primary sex characteristics (internal and external genitalia) not secondary sex characteristics (breast growth, hair growth, etc.). This is important because both primary sex characteristics and DSDs are present from birth. Although, in some cases, they may not be identified until later in life, they are still present at birth.

How does this relate to PCOS?

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition that only affects female people that affects secondary sex characteristics (e.g., cause male-pattern hair growth/loss). It can also affect the function of primary sex characteristics (e.g., cause infertility), but it does not affect the development or appearance of primary sex characteristics. [2]

Therefore,

Women with PCOS do not have a mismatch in genotypic (chromosomal) sex and phenotypic sex (primary sex organs). That is, they have XX chromosomes without any Y-chromosome translocations and a female-typical vulva/ovaries/uterus/etc. The fact that women with PCOS have irregular periods does not negate the fact that their uterus developed normally. In other words, problems with organ function are not equivalent to problems with organ structure/development.

They also do not have ambiguous genitalia; they have female-typical sex organs at birth. Notably, female-typical has a wider range than the commonly held (and misogynistic) “ideal”, but in all cases they are clearly identifiable as a vulva rather than a penis/scrotum.

The age of onset of PCOS is anytime after puberty, and therefore, not at birth. It is an endocrine (hormonal) condition, and no more a DSD than ovarian hyperthecosis, hypothyroidism, or hyperprolactinemia which all produce similar symptoms to PCOS (among many other conditions). [3-5]

Despite claims to the contrary, women with PCOS do not have "male-typical" testosterone levels. The average testosterone level is actually well within the healthy female range and even the upper-end of the PCOS range is around half the lower-limit of the healthy male range. This makes the primary evidentiary claim for PCOS being a DSD (i.e., "testosterone levels between men and women!") invalid. (This claim is also based on the incorrect, and intersexist, belief that people with a DSD are "between" or "neither" male or female.) [6]

All other arguments I can find for PCOS being a DSD appear to be based on:

The belief that we must expand the definition of DSDs to prevent discrimination. This is both logically inconsistent (i.e., we have no evidence that increasing the size of a minority group would reduce discrimination) and philosophically concerning (i.e., this rests on the belief/assumption that we can/should do nothing to reduce discrimination of very rare minority groups).

People's feelings about having PCOS/beliefs about people's feelings about having PCOS. This is wrapped up in postmodernist worldviews, and essentially posits that if people feel they are "between" sexes they should be treated as if they are, despite no material evidence supporting this feeling. (And, again, this also rests on the incorrect and intersexist belief that people with a DSD are "between" sexes.)

A related belief that that if people identify as intersex, we must affirm this identity. Again, this is wrapped up in the same postmodernist worldview, and all the standard criticisms apply.

Conclusion

All in all, there is no medical or material evidence that PCOS is a DSD. The philosophical arguments to the contrary relies postmodernist logic that rejects reality in favor of identity and being in favor of feeling. These arguments also rely on offensive stereotypes and beliefs about people with DSDs/intersex people.

I hope this helps you, Anon!

References below the cut:

Sax, L. (2002). How common is lntersex? A response to Anne Fausto‐Sterling. Journal of sex research, 39(3), 174-178.

PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome): Symptoms & Treatment. Cleveland Clinic, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8316-polycystic-ovary-syndrome-pcos.

Shah, Sanket, et al. “Diagnostic Challenges in Ovarian Hyperthecosis: Clinical Presentation with Subdiagnostic Testosterone Levels.” Case Reports in Endocrinology, vol. 2022, Jan. 2022, p. 9998807. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/9998807.

“Hypothyroidism (Underactive Thyroid).” Cleveland Clinic, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/12120-hypothyroidism.

“Hyperprolactinemia: What It Is, Causes, Symptoms & Treatment.” Cleveland Clinic, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22284-hyperprolactinemia.

Clark, Richard V., et al. “Large Divergence in Testosterone Concentrations between Men and Women: Frame of Reference for Elite Athletes in Sex‐specific Competition in Sports, a Narrative Review.” Clinical Endocrinology, vol. 90, no. 1, Jan. 2019, pp. 15–22. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1111/cen.13840.

[asktheritochampion]

please teach me about Rito anatomy dude I’m so lost what the freak are your finger feather-wing things

Ugh. Do I look like a bioligy teacher to you? Why don't you pick up a book for once in your pathetic life?

Fine. I shall explain this exactly once - and only because clearly I am the only Rito many of you fools seem to know, and it is important that you understand in which the ways we differ to Hylians -considering the fact we shall likely be fighting side by side in future battles. You should understand the workings of your allies and the way they move and fight.

This is the anatomical structure of a Rito skeliton.

As you may see, it is not drastically different to your own. Yes, we have very long wings and fingers compared to Hylians. We also have a pelvic bone called a synsacrum, a much narrower ribcage, and our knees bend in the opposite direction to yours.

Our upper maxilla is technically not part of our skelital structure, but rather a keratin structure similar to Hylians having teeth and nails, however we still include it within structual sketches.

Rito bones are hollow, not containing the marrow that Hylian bones do. They are very brittle, however very quick to heal.

Next we have the Rito muscle and organ structure. This is where we really vary from Hylian anatomy.

Rito have large, flat wing and back muscles for flight, we also have incredbly thick muscles around our thighs. While an at-ease Hylian may be standing straight, the Rito leg muscles are elasticated at tensition and are at ease when crouching. This is to cushion landings.

We also have cresting muscles at the base of our skulls and tails, which can lift the crest or tail for intimidation or mating purposes.

Rito eyes are different to Hylian eyes. Hylian eyes vibrate very slightly so that they can constantly percive depth in their surroudings. However, Rito eyes are stationary, thus we will often bob our heads silently while watching prey or enemies to enable ourselves to correctly detect where they are. Motionless, Rito have a hard time observing things which aren't moving. However, we are able to perceive a great deal more colours than Hylians can - including ultraviolet and infrared. Rito feathers contain a huge amount more patterning than Hylians are able to see.

Our internal organs are far smaller than most races in Hyrule for the purpose of keeping us as light as possible for flight, however this does make us susceptable to a variety of diseases and illnesses.

Rito have three 'stomachs'. A gizzard, which acts similarly to a Hylian mouth, grinding up the food we swallow into a digestable paste. Often we consume small amounts of gravel with our diets to provide roughage for this organ. A regurgitation pouch, for collecting and spitting up undigestable matter like bones and fur, and for feeding infants post egg-laying. And a regular stomach for digesting the paste-food and distributing nutrients to the rest of the body.

We have one intestinal tract instead of Hylian's two - for efficiency, of course. If it's all waste anyway, why do you need to seperate it?

Rito also function similar to Zora, with a cloaca instead of external genetalia. A female Rito will have a uterus which can expand up to fifty times its size to accomidate a growing egg, while a male Rito will have internal testis which produce a mucus-sac containing semen which can be deposited from the body during reproduction. Rito are incapable of knowing whether they're male or female until adolescence when they either begin laying eggs every three or so months, or do not.

Then we get onto the Rito feathers - which is a similarly important part of our anatomy.

Rito are covered in four different types of feather. Our primaries and secondaries, needed for flight, and our base and resistance, needed for sustaining body heat and the elements.

Chicks are born with little to no feathers, then typically grow an entire body-coating of base feathers within their first week or so of life. These are incredibly thick, downy feathers that trap warmth to keep our internal structure safe from the low tempretures.

As a fledgling grows, they will start to gain their primary feathers first. A thicker, sturdier kind of feather which cover our wings and make up our tail. Fledglings can start learning to fly as soon as they have all of their primaries grown in - however they are incapable of flying more than a short distance until their secondaries start to grow, as their wings are not thick enough to hold their weight.

Tail and cresting feathers begin to grow during adolecence, as do resistance feathers, which slowly begin to replace the base feathers of your upper body with each moult. These are a sleek, waterproof feather, much sharper and thicker than a base feather, and they act as a protective, waterproof layer for weathering the elements.

Throughout our lives, Rito do not tend to grow resistance feathers in their lower regions, which remain downy and soft. While Rito can be suprisingly strong swimmers, too long in a body of water will soak these feathers and cause them to become extremely heavy, and they'll take several days to dry out.

Rito also have plumes which grow at the back of our heads - a different kind of feather all together which Hylians often mistake for hair. While these are not included within anatomical structure illustrations, our plumes play an important part in our cultural practises. We never cut them and they never moult, but rather we grow them our entire lives, and longer plumes are considered a sign of wisdom and power. Warriors often wear them braided for efficiency on the battle field, however traditionally Rito captains will style them high above their heads to display their length to intimidate opponants.

Thus ends my explanation. I hope this offered you some valuable insight so that you may better understand the biological workings of your Rito counterparts.

[ghouljams]

I found a post literally by coincidence for that anon who had really painful sex! I rushed to your ask box to share it. This might help her more but yeah, definitely see a gyno anon!

https://www.tumblr.com/mystery-ink/765375977590276096/certifiedsexed-shisno-supercrooks-we-all?source=share

Yes! Good post

I think often we are given the incorrect impression that vaginas are just "made to take it" and that nothing can go wrong with that, but so often we find that isn't the case. There's so much internal structure to the vagina that never really gets addressed out side of the "diagram" they always show, which mainly focuses on the uterus anyway, and so many afab folks are left in the dark about what happens in their bodies.

But if you are having painful sex that is not normal, and should be talked about with a doctor.

[on-my-vigilante-sht]

Capitol Punishment XIII

Haymitch x Reader

Summary: The Capitol continues to torture it’s victors no matter how long ago they won through punishment, exploitation, and worst of all; their relationships.

A story in which Haymitch’s lover is a plaything for the Capitol.

Warnings: Canon level violence, rape, alcohol, murder, systemic poverty, exploitation, rebellion (?), more reliance on movie than book, suicidal thoughts, swearing, illness, pregnancy, miscarriage, torture, sexual torture, medical stuff

Word Count: 3.7K

Part XII | Masterlist | Part XIV

A/N There will be medical stuff explained. I’m not a doctor so just pretend it makes sense

You felt like you had woken up in a strange environment 20 times in the last day and a half and you hoped this would be the last time you woke up like this.

As your eyes peeled open you were greeted with a harsh hospital light. You could feel someone holding your hand at your side. Turning your head you found Haymitch clasping your hand, head resting on the bed as he dozed off. You felt a smile tug at your lips seeing him so peaceful. You tried to reach over to stroke his hair with your free hand but whatever the doctors had done to you wouldn’t allow that as your abdomen cramped.

You returned to your previous position flat on your back with a hiss, stirring Haymitch. Which was impressive considering how deeply he used to sleep even when it wasn’t due him blacking out. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?” he asked frantically, eyes moving around erratically searching for the cause of your pain.

“I’m fine,” you tried to calm him down. “Just a little sore from the surgery. Do you know what they did?”

“Just that they had to fix some internal bleeding. They said the doctor would be in to update us when you woke up,” he explained. He brushed some fingers through your hair. “God I’m so glad you’re okay. I know I’ll never be able to fix or make you forget what they did to you but I promise I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you.”

“Haymitch,” you scolded slightly, “it’s not your fault. I never once blamed you for this.” You lifted your hand to stroke down the side of his face. “I love you and I know you’d never put me in danger on purpose.”

“I never should’ve let you out of my sight,” he continued anyways. “Especially when I knew what was coming.”

Before you could protest once again the doctor came in. “Mrs. Abernathy,” he interrupted. “Glad to see you’re awake.”

“Uh- yeah,” you agreed, pulling away slightly from your husband. “What happened?”

The doctor paused for a second, struggling with saying what he needed to say in a delicate way. “Well, um, your injuries were due to, what we believe to be, repetitive, violent rape and a not properly cared for miscarriage. We stitched up the source of the bleeding internally and those stitches will degrade safely within the body over time so no need to get them removed. And while the Capitol did remove the decaying cells from your miscarriage to prevent you from going into sepsis, your uterus and other vaginal structures were mostly scar tissue. I’m sorry to say that you’ll never be able to carry a pregnancy again.”

You were horrified. Horrified remembering everything you’ve faced, not just in the Capitol after the Quarter Quell but also for the years of abuse that you hadn’t realized was killing your body in more ways than you thought. You were also disappointed remembering the miscarriage you had and the news that you’d never be able to give Haymitch a family. And yet also strangely relieved?

You faintly heard him dismiss the doctor before facing you again. “Hey, Y/N? It’s okay. I know you wanted to have a baby but-” With his words you let the tears fall, sobs wracking your body.

It took you a second to be able to speak but when you could you said, “No, it’s not that. Of course I wanted to have our baby and I know it’s fucked up to say this but I’m relieved. I wasn’t able to admit it to myself until now but I couldn’t possibly have a baby in this fucked up world. Especially as we’re fighting a war that we could very well die in. Haymitch, I love you, and I would’ve loved our baby so much but I’m glad I don’t have to worry about it anymore. I’m sorry if you don’t feel the same way.”

Haymitch paused, stunned. He never knew you felt that way about your pregnancy. “Don’t worry. I’m relieved too.”

Your heart melted knowing that this man would do whatever and be whatever to make you happy. Since you still couldn’t really move, you tugged his collar, urging him to kiss you. He complied, leaning up to press his lips to yours in a deep kiss full of all of each others’ love. Your first kiss since the arena.

When Haymitch pulled away to breathe all he wanted was to crawl into bed and hold you tightly to his side like he had after your games. But the Capitol beds were much larger and you were more fragile than he had ever seen you so he opted instead to sit back down, clasping your hand once again.

A couple hours later you and Haymitch had both dozed off in the relative silence of the hospital wing of District 13. You were both startled awake by Johanna slamming the door open. “Ah, I see you two lovebirds are reunited in your perfect fucking bubble,” she sneered with a false smile.

“Ah, Johanna, nice to see you survived the games and the Capitol,” Haymitch groaned.

“Haymitch,” you scolded, rubbing your eyes. “Can you give us a second?” you asked him. He pursed his lips, reluctant to leave you again but agreed anyways, sending a look to Johanna as he exited the room. “How are you?”

She scoffed, fiddling with the IV bag she wheeled in. “How do you think?”

“Well considering you’re allowed to walk and you managed to give those doctors hell when we got back, I’m guessing not too bad.”

She chuckled at that. “All I want to do it carve the hearts out of Snow and all those Capitol bastards,” she growled. “I’m sure you feel the same. We could all hear everything as Snow let those guys-”

“Johanna,” you cut her off, not wanting to relive it.

“Sorry,” she said realizing your discomfort. “They tried to do it to me too. Again. I refused, nearly killed a guard in the process. Why didn’t you fight back while we were there? Not like they could’ve hurt you any worse.”

“When I first woke up there I had no clue where Haymitch was. No idea if he was in danger or not. Also I watched you and Peeta get dropped in your cells half dead every day. I figured *that was a better alternative to what you were going through.”

Johanna shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess it’s just us picking our poisons.”

“Have you seen Katniss? Or Annie? Or even Peeta?”

She looked surprised. “You haven’t heard?” Confused you shook your head no. “The Capitol fucked with Peeta’s brain. He’s basically terrified of Katniss and is trying to murder her. Anything about her sets him off.”

Your eyes widened. “What? They brainwashed him? Why didn’t anyone tell me?”

She shrugged. “I’ve been trying to see you since they finished all their stupid little tests. You haven’t been awake in almost a day.”

Your eyes fluttered in astonishment as you realized that you had missed out on so much information. “Okay, where’s Katniss?”

“Recovering. Peeta was about to choke her to death before Haymitch and a few other guys got him off her.”

“And Annie? Finnick?”

Johanna shrugged once again. “She and Finnick are off somewhere. She’s fine. She was hardly touched while were were in the Capitol.”

“Good,” you breathed. Annie was the only one you hadn’t been able to see since three sides of your cage had been metal. You sometimes heard her screams but they were rare and as far as you could tell the guards hardly ever went into her cell.

Johanna scoffed. “She got nothing while Peeta and I were electrocuted and beaten half to death every day.”

“Johanna,” you scolded. “It’s not her fault. Besides she’s been through enough.”

“We’ve all been through enough. You, me, Haymitch, Finnick? We all got the worst of it after our games. Katniss got out her games scot-free and so did Peeta except now he’s paying for Katniss’-”

Her words were interrupted by Katniss as she closed the door behind her. You were shocked, you hadn’t even heard her come in. “You’re alive,” was all she said. You weren’t sure it was directed towards you or Johanna.

“So are you,” she answered, exiting the room.

It was Katniss’ turn to sit at your bedside, Haymitch following after. Her throat was badly bruised and her eyes looked bloodshot. From Peeta you realized. “Katniss,” you said softly, observing the haunted look in her eyes.

“Am I the reason you and the others got captured?” she asked, looking at both you and Haymitch.

“No,” you interrupted quickly. “Us getting captured was no one’s fault. All this shit isn’t your fault, you were just trying to save Prim.”

She opened her mouth to protest by Haymitch interrupted her. “Y/N, Coin wants you to talk to Peeta.”

“Who’s Coin?” you asked.

“Oh, right. There’s a lot to catch you up on. She’s the President of 13. And since Peeta’s mind has been altered, we’re hoping your face will offer some comfort since you were in the Capitol together.”

“Okay,” you agreed, eager to help the boy too good for this world. You tried to push yourself up only for Haymitch to rush to your side, pushing you down again.

“Wait, wait, wait,” he insisted. “You’re not cleared to walk yet. Let me find a wheelchair.”

“Haymitch,” you whined, “that’s humiliating.”

“Do you want me to carry you?”

“No, because that’ll be humiliating for the both of us when you drop me,” you joked. He gave you a sour look. “Fine,” you conceded.

Haymitch left, leaving you with Katniss once again. “District 12 is gone. The Capitol bombed it after the arena went out. I just thought you should know.”

You felt your expression physically drop. Everything you had ever known was just gone? The place you grew up, as shitty as it was? The people who had tried to help you when you lost everything? Your home with Haymitch? The place you had married yourselves? Just gone. You didn’t know what to say and neither did Katniss but your processing was interrupted by Haymitch’s return. “Is District 12 gone?” you blurted out, hoping Katniss was wrong.

He stopped dead in his tracks before sighing, nodding his head. “I’m sorry, sweetie,” he tried to comfort, coming back to your side. “Do you want me to tell Coin you’re not up to talking to Peeta?”

“No,” you answered quickly. “I’m fine. I can do this.” You felt so helpless now that your home was gone, you wanted to help someone. So you reluctantly let Haymitch wheel you towards what looked like a garage door. From there a medical assistant took you around the corner to a normal door and wheeled you into the brightest and whitest room you had ever seen. Strapped down to the bed was Peeta who looked at you with broken eyes. You nearly let out a sob realizing how frail and tormented he looked. “Peeta,” you said softly.

“Y/N,” he replied in the same manner.

“How are you feeling?” you asked.

“Where are we?” he dismissed your question. “This isn’t the Capitol.”

“We’re in District 13. Turns out it’s still a real place. We were rescued.”

“My family hasn’t come to see me.”

You felt a tear prick your eye as you remembered how poorly his family treated him in the first place. After he won the games and gave them more money they could possibly hope for they still refused to move into the home he won for them in Victor’s Village. “I’m sure we can-” you turned to find the assistant to ask them to bring his family but one shake of the head from him and you knew Peeta’s family hadn’t survived the bombing. “I’m so sorry, Peeta,” you cried, trying to take his hand gently. But he pulled his fingers just out of reach.

“There was an attack on 12,” he recalled. His empty, haunted expression slowly morphed into anger. “It’s Katniss. It’s because of Katniss.”

“It wasn’t because of her,” you insisted.

“Did she tell you to say that?”

“She didn’t tell me to say anything.”

“She’s a liar, Y/N,” he insisted. “It’s a trick.”

“What you’re saying isn’t real.”

A look of realization dawned over his face. “She sent you in here to talk to me. She and Haymitch.”

“No,” you began.

“Liar!” he suddenly yelled. “They’re liars! They left us in there!” You could faintly hear Haymitch’s yell to pull you out as the assistant began dragging you out of the room. You watched in horror as Peeta thrashed around on the bed screaming that Haymitch had abandoned you in the arena.

~

After another day you were cleared to try walking again. Before, rather than having a catheter placed (thank god), Haymitch would just carry you to the bathroom. An easier feat now that you barely weighed a hundred pounds soaking wet. And as much as you appreciated it it was also infantilizing having to be carried to and from the bathroom by your husband.

As you swung your legs over the side of the bed you suddenly became afraid. You had been so eager to be able to walk again, wanting to regain some independence but now you were afraid to fail.

You glanced up at Haymitch who was nervously watching you. He had been reluctant when the doctor said you could try walking again, saying it was too early but you had a suspicion that he liked that you were so dependent on him for once. But you were itching for some self-worth so you slid off the bed, making hesitant contact with the floor. Once you began placing your weight on your legs you felt them shake slightly but nothing you couldn’t handle. Haymitch, however, was immediately at your side, taking our arm to hold your weight.

“Haymitch, I’m fine,” you insisted.

“I know but if you fall and tear your stitches-”

“I’m *fine,”  you insisted, a sense of finality in your voice.

“Okay,” he agreed, raising his free hand in surrender. He slowly released your other hand, allowing you to settle your weight on your legs. You felt a full ache in your hips and lower torso due to inactivity and the surgery but carried on nonetheless.

After a couple minutes of walking the shaking had gone away as your body quickly recovered it’s previous strength. “See?” you said smugly to your husband and your stride became more normal.

“You know we’re on the same team, right?”

“I still win,” you replied.

~

Unfortunately as soon as you were well enough to walk around they started forcing you into therapy.

“So, Y/N, how are you?” the therapist, Conrad, asked you, a gentle smile on his face.

“I’m fine,” you answered shortly. You knew he was just doing his job but you didn’t need therapy. You’ve been going through the same shit over and over again for the better part of a decade and were doing fine.

“Y/N, I understand you’ve just been freed from the prison Snow put you in long before he literally put you in a cell but you should still talk about it.” You didn’t say anything, just stared at him. “The Capitol also tried other, psychological torture. Starvation, sleep deprivation, that’s all in your file but I can tell they cut off your hair too.” You felt the urge to reach for your choppy hair but didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. “Out of all the things they could do to you why do you think they chose to go after your hair?” You still refused to speak. “Y/N I can’t count this session or even end it if you don’t say anything.”

“So you’re bargaining for my compliance?” you challenged. “Just like they did with food and sleep?”

“No, I-”

“You wanna know about my hair? The Capitol guys didn’t like fucking a bag of bones that couldn’t stay awake long enough for them to make me beg them to stop as they hurt me. So they decided to continue to punish me by cutting off my hair while still keeping it long enough to keep me pretty.”

“Y/N, this is a safe space-”

“Why do you keep saying my name?” you yelled.

“To remind you that you’re human. You have worth and an identity. You’re not just your body.”

You rolled your eyes. “Trust me, I haven’t lost any self worth. I may have complied to survive and keep Haymitch alive but don’t think I let them turn me into a mindless slave.”

“Haymitch,” Conrad said, jotting a note. “Tell me about your relationship.”

“Why do we need to discuss him?”

“Because he seems to be the only thing you care about.”

“I care about other things,” you said defensively.

“But he’s the first you’ve mentioned by name that I didn’t bring up first. So tell me, what’s your relationship like in your most difficult times?”

“You wanna know what he’s like in the worst moments of my life? He was there for me. Do you think I’d be with him this long if he was an asshole?”

“Well he did mentor you and he was the only person in 12 who could possibly relate to you at the time.” You rolled your eyes, getting angry. “I think you should try to find an identity outside of your relationship.”

“I’m done. Tell the doctors to either get me a new therapist or stop sessions entirely. I’m not talking to someone who badmouths my husband.” And with that, you stormed out, heading to your and Haymitch’s dorm.

Haymitch had had his own dorm but since you were married they allowed you to have a two bunk dorm. You both had insisted that you wouldn’t need another bunk but they moved you anyways so the other bunk was just another seating area.

As you entered you found Haymitch sitting up on the bunk, reading. “Hey, how was-” But you ignored him, just climbing onto the bed, cuddling into his chest. He hummed, realizing what must’ve happened. “Hmm, that good huh?” he asked sarcastically.

~

You hadn’t been allowed to do much besides meet with Conrad. They had refused to get you a different counselor so you refused to be cooperative no matter how long he held you in his office.

The doctors also checked up on you frequently as rumors of invading the Capitol spread through 13. Katniss had gone out a couple times on “missions.” One of which was in 2 where she was shot. Fortunately Cinna had the foresight to make her suit one fit for combat so she was fine aside from a few bruised ribs.

When you went to visit her it was just after Johanna had. “You ever had the wind knocked out of you like that?” you asked with a chuckle.

“Never,” she admitted. “Everyone saw me just collapse like a dead body,” she groaned, covering her face.

“Well yes but everyone is eating up the ‘The Mockingjay survived a bullet’ thing.”

“You should’ve been the Mockingjay, or Johanna. Neither of you would’ve fallen.”

“Well I can believe that for Johanna but trust me, I’m not superhuman. Besides, men aren’t threatened by you once they’ve seen you naked,” you admitted.

Katniss hummed for a second, basking in the haunted look in your eye. “Well I think Haymitch is still pretty intimidated by Johanna.”

You laughed at the memory in the elevator. “Yeah well Johanna’s a little different.” You took a breath. “All those men who tried to destroy me�� I just wanna put a knife through each and every one of their throats. I never let myself be angry at them because it would make the situation so much more unbearable but now… all I can picture is the life leaving them.”

“So why don’t you? You’re not the Mockingjay. Go to the Capitol with the others.”

“I’m not cleared to fight. Too many injuries. Besides Haymitch would insist of coming and he’s still getting used to being sober. He couldn’t fight.”

“I couldn’t bring Peeta out there either,” she admitted.

~

You stood at the edge of the dance floor, admiring Finnick and Annie’s first dance as a married couple. You were happy for them, they had been through so much it was nice to see them get their happy ending.

As the bridesmaids and groomsmen were called to the floor you reluctantly let Haymitch pull you to the dance floor along with Finnick, Annie, Katniss, Gale, and a few others. “So, you ever think about having a big wedding like this?” Haymitch asked you.

You gave him a look. “Getting married with a bunch of strangers in a bunker in the middle of a war? I much prefer our little elopement.”

Haymitch smiled. “Me too,” he said sweetly. “At least our wedding had booze.”

~

A/N sorry if the tone felt rushed. It’s hard to write about Mockingjay because it’s the most complicated book/movie and it focuses so heavily on Katniss and the things only Katniss can do so filling in the gaps is difficult

Part XII | Masterlist | Part XIV

[flip-fop]

Remember you asked for this. Here's the fairy sex ed post

Partially cross posting from twitter but without nearly as much of a character limit, if you recognize it no you don't <3

Vaguely nsft under the cut; this is intended to be a psuedoscientific exploration of speculative biology and fairy reproduction, please don't reply to this post with highly sexual commentary (jokes are fine lmao) because this is primarily a family friendly blog.

Prefix:

Starting this off by saying that, while this post is going to focus on reproduction via their physical forms, fairies are essentially made of magic and can, for the most part, manipulate those forms at will. Think of these like the default settings of physical manifestation. Also it's worth noting that while I'm for the most part using human biology terms, fairies themselves probably have ridiculously whimsical names for all these organs that have existed for billions of years, but this isn't a language post. This is not meant to be a full comprehensive medical guide to the complexities of gender in fairy culture, nor will it cover every possible variation of default physical forms. This is your middle school "where do babies come from" level of documentation. The terms "male" and "female" are used to describe fairies as they are "assigned" at birth, however, please don't take this to mean trans and nonbinary fairies don't exist, they definitely do.

Anatomy:

When manifesting physical forms, fairies develop traits based on the dominant species of the world they will primarily engage with, in this case, humans. (1) This leads to the development of secondary sex characteristics such as breast tissue and facial hair. While these traits have evolved over millennia spent alongside humans, they are still derived from magic, and can not be used to qualify fairies as mammals. Fairies are an oviviparous species, meaning an embryo will develop within a fertilized egg and depend on that egg for nutrients, but will hatch inside the parent's body and result in a live birth. (2)

Females produce eggs and lay them via an ovipositor. Males produce sperm via internal testes used to fertilize eggs as they pass through the birth canal towards the brood pouch via penetration by ovipositor. The birth canal and ovipositor are both is self lubricating when aroused to assist the transfer of eggs, and the internal pelvic muscular structure in male fairies is designed to pull the eggs as deep as possible to increase chances of fertilization within the brood pouch. The urinary and reproductive systems are completely separate because they keep canonically arguing about leaving the toilet seat up and while I'm only loosely respectful of canon I can also do whatever I want forever. The female urethra exists behind the ovipositor while the male urethra is connected to a non-reproductively functional penis. Ovipositors tend to be slightly larger than penises, and female fairies tend to be slightly larger than males in general, but this is primarily dependent on the individuals Both the ovipositor and penis have an abundance of nerve endings and experience arousal, though male ejaculation is entirely internal. The brood pouch is functionally a uterus in human terms, however, as the developing embryo derives nutrients from the egg and has no need to fully attach, the brood pouch does not have a lining and, sorry everyone, men don't get periods, nobody has to get periods in my world because I'm a benevolent god. Fairies experience 3 types of puberty, "pooferty(3)" "pasta puberty(4)" and sexual maturation. The first two of these involve developmental milestones and magic-hormone interactions, so they are best set to the wayside for a different post, though I will note here that most secondary sex characteristics will develop in manifest forms at the end stages of pasta puberty. The sexual maturation stage of puberty is the only stage in which hormone production is more of an active cause than magic. Females may begin laying eggs during this time, and nocturnal depositing is very common in teenagers and nothing to be ashamed of, it's a very normal experience to wake up to the occasional egg or two. At the end of class you'll receive a pamphlet with a section on proper disposal spells. Males may experience abdominal cramping during third puberty, as their brood pouch swells slightly to accommodate possible eggs, this is not cyclical in the way human periods are, and once they've had their last growth spurt and the pouch settles in its more spacious form, any residual cramping should subside. Until then, the pamphlets offered at the end of class will also have a section on magical pain relief.

Reproduction:

A female fairy can lay between 1-5 eggs, which are semi-gelatinous in texture and range from .5"-1" (1.27-2.54cm) in size. Egg coloration comes in a myriad of pastels, but despite some outdated theories, the coloration of the egg indicates nothing about the potential appearance of the baby. As previously stated, when the female lays her egg/s inside the male they are fertilized internally. The male will carry the fertilized egg/s in his brood pouch, but the embryo will remain inside the egg through development, using it as a source of magical nutrients If an egg laid inside a partner in whatever orifice is not successfully fertilized, it dissolves within a matter of 6-12 hours. Birth control looks a lot different for fairies because it's essentially exclusive to a morning after spell to forcibly dissolve the eggs anyway. After a 3 month gestation period, the embryo will have fully absorbed the nutrients from the egg and will essentially have "eaten" it's way out, which will trigger the father going into labor and, theoretically, delivering the baby via birth canal. In practice however, magical c-sections(5) were the go-to long before the baby ban. Seriously this has been the preferred method for millennia. Only holier-than-tho crunchy granola weirdos get superior about non-magically assisted delivery.

Citations:

In s3ep12 Abracatastrophy we learn that fairies take on godparenting duties and physical traits of the earths dominant species.

https://byjus.com/biology/viviparous-oviparous-embryo-development/#ovoviviparity

s9ep38 School of Crock Peri goes through pooferty, but this is also one of those concepts I've entirely restructured in my mind.

ANW s1ep18 Growing Pains introduces pasta puberty, and I'm keeping that canon on the grounds that it's funny.

In s6ep1 Fairly Odd Baby we gain a basic and superficial overview of fairy gestation. It's the mpreg episode.

[sopebubbles]

Heyoooo! I hope you guys are as excited as I am to start this. Thanks for all your support already. Before I put out the first chapter tomorrow I wanted to give you some info about how a/b/o's worked on this universe. The social circumstances will play a big role in the story overall, so it might be worth checking out. If anything comes up or gets clarified as we go, I will update this page.

Homo sapiens lykos

Homo Sapiens Sapiens and homo Sapiens Lykos have inhabited the same world for thousands of years, but until the last couple of centuries have rarely occupied the same spaces. Unlike the Neanderthals and Denisovans, who interbred with Sapiens until they ceased to exist as a pure and distinct group, the Lykos have lived for millennia far from Sapien society. In fact, recent archeology has shown that the Lykos likely evolved long before all three of these groups and have maintained small but robust populations throughout time. 

Lykos are distinct from other subspecies of humans in the presentation of a secondary gender, divided between alpha, beta and omega with associated physical differences, as well as in cultural practices and social structures. Many of these differences related to pack structures and pre-modern practices among most Lykos communities including the wearing of animal furs and use of a lunar calendar, led early Sapien observers to label them as wolve or Lykos, although there is no genetic link between the two species. The term has thus come under much scrutiny in recent decades, yet is widely considered preferable to the often pejorative wolf, and has remained the most common term in lieu of an alternative. 

Genetics and secondary gender

Genetic analysis has revealed dominant and recessive allele variations in the genes responsible for secondary gender presentation in three categories: Alpha, Beta and Omega. Because secondary gender does not present until puberty, the alpha, beta, or omega status of immature Lykos cannot be determined except through extensive genetic sequencing. In addition, recent research has speculated the presence of a fourth group. Evidence that a specific recessive combination can result in no secondary gender presentation whatsoever is controversial as more research is needed. Some scientists suggest that genderless Lykos have arisen in recent years as a result of interbreeding with Sapiens, but it is unclear whether such genderlessness is present naturally in Lykos communities or whether this is a result of genetic convergence between the two subspecies. It is also possible that the lack of presentation is merely an individual aberration in a small number of Lykos.

Most anatomical differences between the two subspecies relate directly to secondary gender presentation and occur independent of primary gender. Specifically, alphas, whether male or female, develop a knot in puberty, and both males and females are able to impregnate omegas and female betas. Additionally, alphas tend to be larger in size than omegas and are bulkier in physique. Alphas experience periodic ruts, though they occur less regularly than omega heats. They are able to impregnate omegas and female betas in or out of rut.

Both male and female omegas have wombs that develop along with other internal organs in utero, thus male omegas can be identified during childhood if medical examinations or treatment reveal the presence of the uterus. Both are capable of becoming pregnant only during heats, which usually occur every 8-10 weeks in healthy adults. Despite having wider hips than alpha and beta males, natural birth is statistically riskier for males than females.

Beta males and females exhibit a wider range of phenotypic expression than alphas and omegas. Only female betas possess a uterus, but lack a noticeable heat or rut and can conceive at any time, though conception is rare. Similarly, male betas present with penises that do not grow with puberty and which are similar in size to Sapien males. They are capable of impregnating omegas and beta females, as well as Sapien females. They can be as large as alphas and as small as omegas in stature, and closely resemble Sapiens in outward appearance. 

Alphas, betas and omegas all develop scent glands during puberty that produce a unique scent, which for alphas are said to often be earthy or musky in nature, while omegas have scents that are sweet or bright. Betas scents are usually calming or neutral in nature. Originally thought to only be important for mating purposes, Lykos scents are now known to be important in a variety of ways for individual health and social well-being, though the extent to which is still under study. Significantly, pheromones associated with scents are thought to be capable of mood modulation among Lykos and may even have an effect on Sapiens, despite the fact that the latter cannot recognize or distinguish them. Studies show that Lykos have a sense of smell up to ten times more potent than that of Sapiens. Lykos that do not present with any secondary gender, also called nulls, are physically similar to betas in many ways with a few distinctions. Most significant is the lack of a unique scent. 

Culture and society

The dominant structure of Lykos societies is based on the pack. Packs typically consist of anywhere from 2 to 8 adults, and may be made up of mating pairs or groups and their children, though makeup varies widely. They are commonly considered to be pansexual along both primary gender lines. Among the global Lykos population, betas represent a plurality between 40-45% of the population. Omegas appear to slightly out-number alphas. Packs may or may not reflect these numbers. In the past, it was thought that packs with more than one alpha were socially unstable, but current Lykos intellectuals argue that this is a false notion based on the stereotype of alphas as aggressive and violent. In reality, they argue, multiple alphas are capable of coexisting harmoniously within packs and that packs with multiple alphas are often more stable as they increase the economic prosperity of the group.

Similarly, the Lykos community continues to fight the stereotype of domesticity among omegas as more omegas enter the workforce each year. Nevertheless, omegas face many physical challenges to regular work, and the fight for equal opportunity employment and heat leave continues to reach a universal standard.

Homelessness among Lykos, especially adolescents, has seen a severe increase over the last several decades. Among many possible causes, public health officials suggest that the increase in Sapien-Lykos mating over the last half century have contributed to many displaced youths who struggle to find a place in either community. Additionally, a shifting trend from pack life to smaller one or two parent households, reflective of Sapien influence, has destabilized life for many Lykos. Experts say the true effect of this trend is not yet properly understood, but numerous studies have shown that pack practices such as nesting, scenting and grooming have positive effects on the emotional and physical health of individuals. Conversely, the lack of such habits has been shown to seriously diminish the well-being of "lone wolves."

Interactions with Sapiens

The existence of Lykos has been noted by various Sapien civilizations over the millennia, but only anecdotal incidents of contact had been documented prior to the age of exploration. While Lykos lived on the peripheries of Sapien's inhabitable zones, most contact was had with indigenous groups that occupied similar territories, and small group encounters were mostly peaceful. As Sapiens increased their territory and began to significantly alter the environment, Lykos were pulled into Sapien spaces primarily as a matter of survival. Today it is estimated that between 60-70% of Lykos live in proximity to Sapiens and participate consistently in modern life in countries across the globe, but it remains difficult to properly account for Lykos living outside of urban areas that do not register with the government.

Many Lykos activists and Sapiens allies continue the fight for civil rights that have spanned more than a century. Yet alphas, betas and omegas alike continue to face discrimination in public places. In schools, young omegas experience a marked increase in drop-outs compared to their peers following the onset of heats. Additionally, Lykos struggle with employment, especially in localities that do not enforce equal opportunity employment.

A/n: idk how original this lore is overall, but I felt that it was specific and relevant enough to the plot merit an introduction, meant to be read somewhat like a Wikipedia page. I hope you look forward to Lone Wolf!

Send an ask if you want to be tagged! <3

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[batterymaster01]

CW: Weird organs

The reproductive system of Astutocentaurus, particularly the Fauns (Astutocentaurus cosmopolitans).

Fauns and other Astutocentaurus are diecious, being born either "male" or "female" with only the lower abdominal zooid bearing gonads for reproduction. Like birds, reptiles, and some mammals, they possess a cloaca in which both their excretory and reproductive organs are housed. Men have a long, retractile phallus that has a lymphatic hydroskeleton, whereas a homologous structure in women remains internalized to form the cervix and uterus. The testicles and ovaries are also homologous structures.

In addition to the actual genitals, they also possess a set of erogenous frontal claspers on their upper abdominal zooid, which are evolved from the same limb buds that develop into the sternal claw and gnathopods. These specialized structures evolved as a social tool that allows mates to bond sexually in a non-reproductive manner, and they also play a role in facilitating arousal immediately before proper copulation. Recapitulating the structure of proper genitals, the frontal claspers are similarly sexually dimorphic. In men, the clasper is a medially fused, cartilaginous appendage called a "clavus", and it folds downward when not in use. In women, however, the clasper is a paired structure connected by a flap of skin, forming an invaginated pouch called a "clausura". In both men and women, the clavus and clausura are fully external and vulnerable structures, and are usually veiled in clothing for both modesty and protection.

[creatrix-codex]

Let's take a quick look at some of the body parts that women need to be acquainted with.

Here's a detailed illustration, lest you think the female reproductive system is some damn easy bake oven. But we're starting with the basics!

Bartholin's Glands: These are located on either side of the vaginal canal and emit mucus that ranges from almost watery to thick and gooey depending on the need. This mucus combines with the plasma produced by the vaginal walls during arousal. The mucus from the Bartholin's gland is acidic, ranging from 3.8-4.5 on the pH scale (7.0 is neutral).

Cervix: The cervix functions as a gate between the vagina and uterus. It is a deceptively small part of the system when "inactive" but it can dilate significantly to accommodate a fetus. While something inserted into the vagina may touch the outer opening of the cervix, the cervix sits closed most of the time, so you're at no risk of losing a tampon. The cervix opens a little bit during ovulation, menstruation, and childbirth.

Clitoris: Research into the functions of the clitoris has been extremely limited. It has both an internal and external aspect, with the external being located above the urethra, and the internal wrapping around either side of the vagina. The only known function is arousal and sexual stimulation, which also improves fertility.

Fallopian Tubes: The fallopian tubes catch eggs released during ovulation and hold them in the ampulla until the egg is either fertilized - when the then-zygote is sent into the uterus to attach - or not, and released during menstruation.

Labia Majora: The external set of labia is called the labia majora. The labia majora functions to protect the rest of the vulva, the urethra, and the vagina. The labia majora typically swells with blood and slightly parts during arousal.

Labia Minora: The labia minora are the small, inner set of skin folds going from the clitoris to the bottom of the vaginal opening. Like the labia majora, their role is to protect everything encased in them. Unlike with labia majora, it isn't common to grow hair on the labia minora, which may cause discomfort and ingrown hair, leading to infection risks.

Ovaries: Ovaries are small round-ish sacs that contain eggs, the female half of the human gamete. Every month, a new egg drops out of the ovaries and floats (hopefully) to the fallopian tubes. Ovaries aren't attached to the fallopian tubes, so sometimes the eggs just get released into the abdominal cavity. During sex, sperm typically also ends up in the abdominal cavity, and that's how we get extrauterine pregnancies (ectopic pregnancy). Even without a uterus or fallopian tubes, a woman with even just one ovary can still experience pregnancy. Ovaries are also one of the biggest hormone controlling mechanisms in the female body.

Pubic Hair: Beginning at the start of puberty, girls develop pubic hair. By womanhood, this hair typically comes from the pelvis all the way down, covering the labia majora, extending onto the inner thighs, and down and back over the perineum and up around the anus. Pubic hair is there to help us keep clean. Typically the texture is springy, coarse, and curled. This helps prevent detritus from reaching the inner labia and vagina, which can cause irritation and infection. Pubic hair also wicks sweat and moisture away from the vulva. This is a very important function as the vagina and vulva are typically a little wet, due to discharge, and that moisture needs to be removed as it is replaced.

Skene's Glands: Located on either side and slightly under the urethra, these glands can release an "ultrafiltrate" of blood plasma, but typically only during (a really good) orgasm in a phenomenon known as female ejaculation/squirting/gushing. This is not urine. Fun fact: The fluid from Skene's glands is sweet, and has a very high concentration of both glucose and fructose.

Uterus: The uterus is an interesting and multi-purpose structure. Most commonly referenced, the uterus holds a fetus, develops the placenta, and does most of the work in reproduction. However, the uterus also serves as a "weight bearing" organ helping to define and maintain the structure of the abdominal cavity. Newer research is also indicating that the uterus plays an important part in hormone control, and overall health - for example, a hysterectomy increases your chance of developing dementia later in life.

Vagina: The vagina is a tube-like muscle organ that connects up to the cervix. When 'at rest' the vagina is quite short, but when a woman is aroused it lengthens. (Average vagina depth directly correlates to average penis length within a group - if the average penis length is 4-5 inches, the average vaginal depth when aroused is 4-5 inches.) As it's made of muscle, the vagina is highly maneuverable and can be clenched and released whether to increase pleasure during stimulation, or to help push a baby out.

Vulva: The external portion of the female reproductive system, comprising of the labia majora, labia minora, vaginal opening, clitoris, urethra, and associated glands. Everything you can see is the vulva. (|i|) << all vulva.

[weirdnaturalscience]

"The Stronger Sex"

Recently my partner and I were discussing male advantages in sports due to testosterone. I've been reading a lot this year about female anatomy (like the full internal structure of the clitoris for example) and suddenly I wondered what biological advantages cis women, nonbinary people and trans men possess, if any.

The fact that I included "if any" in this question demonstrates just how biased our culture is against women and how pervasive the lack of knowledge about women's biology is. We are erroneously taught to view men as "superior physically" with women as their defective smaller weaker counterparts. Medicine treats women this way as well, assuming that any medical approach tailored to men should work for women. HOW WRONG THAT IS!

So what are those biological advantages that cis, trans and nonbinary people with ovaries possess?

- double X chromosome advantage: the rate of birth defects is much higher in people with X and Y chromosomes. When you have two X's, and there's a defect on one, on the level of the cell the body will turn off the defective X. In addition, having two X chromosomes means you can't be affected by diseases passed down on the Y chromosome.

- the estrogen advantage. Testosterone, like all steroids, is an immunosuppressant, whereas estrogen is an immuno-enhancer. This is postulated as one of the factors behind women's longer life spans, lower rates of cancer and lower cancer death rates. Testosterone is such an immunosuppressant that when injured, both men and women's bodies downregulate testosterone for the duration of the injury. (Yes, everyone has testosterone. In fact, women have more testosterone than estrogen.)

- women are better suited to survive famine and starvation than men, due to a number of factors including fat storage and better utilization of fat as an energy source. This ability is demonstrated not just in women's physiology but in studies of famines. Interestingly, women's fat utilization is one of the reasons they are able to outperform men in the ultramarathon and long distance swimming.

- ability to give birth. I find it funny that people talk about "penis envy" when women literally already have clitorises HELLO when every sci fi fantasy story seems to be about men trying vainly to create life. I've never even heard the term uterus envy, but it seems apt. Men historically and currently have attempted to make women's ability to give birth a disadvantage by controlling reproductive rights.

- women have a lower center of gravity, providing better balance.

- gonads are protected inside the body, not dangling precariously below, enhancing the likelihood of successfully passing on genetic material.

- this is not yet well understood, and could be connected to estrogen and testosterone: when babies are born prematurely, female babies are at significantly lower risk of dying than male babies, and as you look at births that are more and more premature this female advantage becomes even more pronounced. Understanding why could help more premature male babies survive.

It makes me angry that by and large our culture teaches women to think of our bodies negatively, whether it's in terms of ugliness, weakness or shame. And when we talk about sex based advantages, we systematically leave out the way one sex is designed for survival in infancy, survival in famine, and long term survival for the duration of the lifespan in a way the other simply is not.

If we're going to acknowledge the advantages testosterone gives people, isn't it time we recognize the advantages estrogen has too? Men are not the stronger sex. Women are not just small men. Both sexes have interesting adaptions that come with advantages and disadvantages, yet somewhere down the line we as a society decided we didn't want women to know how incredible their bodies were. We decided to talk as little about clitorises as possible and to neglect studying them in medicine, to the detriment of women's sexual health. We decided to create drugs for men, not women because their hormonal cycles were too "complicated." We decided that high levels of testosterone couldn't possibly have any disadvantages because it wouldn't fit with our image of the alpha male. We decided to make women feel shame for their genitalia and for their physiologies. We decided that the fat that is healthy for women to have on their bodies didn't fit with the image of a woman we wanted to sell. We decided to punish women for having the ability to give birth by taking away their reproductive rights and making female sexuality taboo.

Why?

[aboutanancientenquiry]

A very informative text of neurosurgeon and historian of science Pr. Alexander Brawanski on the Edwin Smith Papyrus and more generally on ancient Egyptian medicine - II

"Treatment concepts, magic, and science

The ancient physicians had a specific and rather sophisticated pathophysiological concept of (internal) diseases [33], which unfortunately complies with little of the actual inner workings of the body as we understand them today. They assumed some type of circulatory system, which included the heart and in which bad substances could accumulate and circulate. Furthermore, an elaborated materia medica was available with sophisticated application methods. Some of the applied drugs were effective [34–36]. This knowledge was acquired over the centuries by trial and error and finally led to the high esteem of the medical profession in the ancient world [37]. Part of this knowledge has survived in several larger medical papyri and many fragments [18], a textual corpus of which the ESP constitutes only a minor fraction.

As has often been observed by students, the anatomical descriptions in the ESP are clear, descriptive, and sometimes unique. One of the classics is the comparison of the surface of the (injured) brain to molten copper (case 6). However, the general anatomical knowledge was limited; sometimes it is nicknamed “kitchen” or slaughterhouse anatomy [38] because much of the information seems to be derived from the slaughterhouse indeed. An example is the uterus, which is represented hieroglyphically as the uterus bicornutus, which is not present in human beings. In this context, the question is unresolved as to whether at the time of the ESP the embalmers’ knowledge was used by physicians and whether they were two strictly separated professions. According to Ghalioungui, there were individuals bearing the title of physician who very likely could have been embalmers as well [25]. In the later period of Egyptian history, the Egyptian title for physician could mean both. Some information that is presented in the ESP related to spinal injuries does suggest, however, that there must have been an exchange of information between these groups [7]. Otherwise, some descriptions of spinal injuries in the ESP could not be described in such detail.

Besides all this, the ancient Egyptian physicians firmly believed in supernatural forces such as demons, undead persons (Widergänger), and divine influences as causes of illnesses and consequently treated them by magicical rituals. The less obvious the cause of a disease, the more common was magic [39, 40]! Magic and practical medicine were not different or contradictory to physicians. This differentiation is artificial and was introduced by modern medical historians [41]. The ancients often used magical spells to enhance the effectivity of medical applications, and often magic alone. Thus, there is a significant number of magical spells in other important medical papyri [42]. All this is not so necessary in the ESP, as the causes of the wounds and the injuries are well known, thus showing the “rational” approach, which exemplifies the strength of these ancient societies: The collection of information and facts and the classification of this information. This complies with the “organizational principle” that ruled these societies and without which they could not exist or survive. The ancient Egyptians had available lists of birds, countries, and even objects of daily life [43]. They used them for reference and education. The major intent of these lists was to classify and thus structure the world in order to cope with it. Knowledge meant power. Therefore, the knowledge of the physicians often was called “secret” and was not available to everyone, provided he could read at all.

This classification principle is perfectly exemplified in the ESP. The single cases are arranged from the top to bottom of the body. This may seem natural per se, but this structural principle again had a religious background. We know of litanies of Gliedervergottung (deification of members of the body) [44, 45] that have the same order. Here we come to another important point, namely that medicine was deeply rooted in the divine realm. The relevant documents were stored in the temples; education as well as treatment took place there. Some of the physicians may have been priests as well, and a specific type of priest also could magically treat patients [46] to some extent. All this explains why magic was a firm component of medical practice. Specifically in prescriptions with magic components, patients were often addressed as and equated with the god Horus, who was helped by his mother Isis.

In this context, we come to the major driving force of ancient Egyptian thought. All (official) activities had to follow one major principle that traverses all ancient Egyptian behavior: the universal order of the world—“Maat”—which kept the world running. It had to be preserved by all means because it was threatened every day. This fact sets Egyptian medicine in the proper position and environment in this society. According to Egyptian belief, ancient “objects” with a long tradition underpinned the validity of this concept. Thus, we can find the statement in medical texts “that the text is a copy of an ancient papyrus found in a chest by chance” [47] and thus must be qualitatively good, because otherwise it would have perished. Ancient Egyptian society wanted stability and no abrupt changes. This can be seen very well in ancient Egyptian art, which did not change in its basic principles throughout the existence of ancient Egypt. Once a reasonable solution to a problem was achieved, it was preserved, and one did not necessarily look for other solutions. This complies well with the ESP, which was copied around 1600 BCE, but stems from a much older document according to the language of this papyrus [1].

This does not mean that there was no progress at all or that no variety of approaches existed. In the medical literature, there are significant variants in the selection and applications of drugs [40]. Even foreign treatments were accepted in the medical canon [42, 48, 49]. However, over time there was little obvious significant change. Due to this general attitude of ancient Egyptian society and due to the close connection of medicine to the divine, science in the modern sense was not possible and possibly not even thought of. One did not experiment with religious issues and endanger the general world order. The ancient Greeks were the first to question the divine influence on diseases in the seventh century BCE. Obviously this society was open to these questions [50]. However, even at the time when Hippocrates was active, the Asclepiads still recommended treatment in the temples and help from the gods [51].

The individual patient

Now the fate of the individual patient should be examined in reference to the cases described in the ESP.

One of the major issues seems to have been to establish a proper prognosis that determined the further procedures. This may sound astonishing at first. However, it is understandable when we regard this from the viewpoint of a major organization. This was nothing other than triage, which makes even more sense in the context of limited treatment options (see below). The verdict/prognosis was written in red in the ESP, which underlines its importance. This method is not unusual as we can still find this approach in ancient Greek medicine (1,000 years later). Here the major issue was also determining the prognosis [52]. Actually, the authority and credibility of an ancient Greek physician depended to a large extent on establishing a fast and proper prognosis [53].

It is important to note that the Egyptian physicians did not give a single disease name in the ESP, but an enumeration of symptoms. This is a relevant fact, as a “single-word” diagnosis usually implies a coherent pathophysiological concept that each physician understands. Thus, for modern physicians the concept of diabetes includes various aspects that do not have to be enumerated each time. However, a loose collection of symptoms rather constitutes a syndrome, in the best medical sense, which does not necessarily imply an understanding of the underlying pathophysiology. We would for instance summarize some of the injuries in the ESP (e.g., cases 18–20) as cranial base fractures. To any modern physician, this term would mean a specific injury with variable severity depending on the location and strength of the impact. Thus, a physician would rather summarize the single cases under one heading. Similarly, the last case (case 48) in the ESP deals with lower back pain. Several symptoms are enumerated. From a modern point of view, this could indicate several diagnoses, such as a tumor, a slipped disc, or a simple joint problem. The ancient Egyptian physician gave a “syndromatic” description from which a final modern diagnosis can hardly be developed, as relevant information is missing. Thus, often a definitive modern diagnosis cannot be made simply because of the lack of specific information in the ESP. This is not a denigration of the ancient Egyptian medical art, which was quite sophisticated despite their limited knowledge, but we have to know what we can take for granted.

In addition, we have to be clear that the treatment options in the ESP are very limited. Most of them are supportive in the best sense, but hardly any of them are curative. One exception may be the readjustment of a dislocated jaw (case 25). The same holds true to some extent for the relocation of a broken collarbone (cases 34–35). Here, the outer contour is readjusted; however, the fracture is still there with all its implications for malfunctioning of the adjacent joint (shoulder). Besides this, some treatment suggestions are clearly detrimental to the patient. In case 28, an injury of the esophagus is obviously described. The physician recommended a closure of the superficial wound without further inspection of the deeper layers of the injury. This patient would definitely die from the sequelae of a mediastinitis, which is still a severe disease today. One may muse about the fact that the physician recommended a superficial closure of the wound in this case. Clearly the outflow of water should be mended. The guiding principle was obviously the restoration of the integrity of the outer aspects of the body. This corresponds well to the practice of mummification. Again the outer appearance of the mummy was important for the afterlife, but not so much the internal organs, which were removed during mummification and put in canopic jars separately.

Thus, the fate of the patient was actually determined by the seriousness of the injury, the severity of the following infection, and the physical strength of the patient to cope with these. The main intent of the ancient Egyptian physician was to establish a prognosis. We must be clear about the fact that a negative prognosis meant that the patient was left alone. What this may have looked like is described more fully in the Hippocratic Epidemics. I quote Epidemics 7,32 in reference to the ESP, case 22: “On a Macedonian: …he was struck over the left temple, a superficial wound. He fainted after the hit and fell. On the third day he was speechless. He tossed about. Fever was not very intense…. He heard nothing and was not conscious, nor was he still. Moisture was around his forehead and beneath the nose to the chin. He died on the fifth day” [54]. It is interesting to note that these observations, which are of importance to the physician, are not mentioned in the ESP. This is simply due to the fact that “bad” things could and should not be written down. The Egyptians believed in the supernatural strength of their script; it was not understood as a mere transporter of information. Describing bad events would disturb Maat, the general word order.

Conclusion

What is the best way to approach the ESP? It is rooted in a complex environment, which has to be taken into account in order to appreciate this document fully. Magic definitely was an elementary part of ancient Egyptian medical practice and was applied at various occasions. This approach to cope with problems does not limit the overall achievements of this ancient society. Does the ESP contain science? That depends on the definition and is difficult to grasp [55]. If one applies the “modern” idea of science representing the objective truth, the answer would be no. However, respecting the specific principles to define natural events and mechanisms, which each of these ancient societies used, I would say—in a basic sense—“yes.” However, a simple “close reading” of the ESP, including one to apply modern concepts and diagnoses [56], will most likely not do justice to this unique document."

Professor Alexander Brawanski, University Hospital Regensburg, Germany

[robbie-roo]

Marsupials (overview)

Hello, desktop Tumblr it is time to talk about mammals again >:)

I can feel my roommate watching me over my shoulder...

also wow using grammerly on desktop is really annoying! but I can use titles???? woo!

I think I regret choosing desktop for this.... oh well! lets get into it

Ok so we left off talking about monotremes and I will have a post about their bones at some point I pinky swear I just need to figure out what I want to talk about. ok anyways today let's see what should we talk about hmm.... drumroll please.....

Metatheria!

So metatheria are the marsupials of the animal kingdom you've heard of a lot of them and I'm sure you know their calling card- pouches. but we are getting INTO it tonight guys heheheh

ok so some Latin facts- we know that protheria (monotremes) means 'first beast' but metatheria means "in-between beasts"

the first/oldest protheria we know about is the sinodelphys they are found mostly in Australia and South America due to a lack of placental mammals during the whole continental drift business.

ok so what makes a marsupial a marsupial? well let's get into a few relatively universal traits amongst them (remember folks nature doesn't read biology books so some of these are special or gone in certain groups)

so bones (BONES!!!!)

so the pelvic and jaw bones in a metathere are different than in eutheres (we will talk about them next teehee) they do not have a rounded angular process and it's instead spiky (here's a picture of a possum jaw for reference)

There are also extra openings in the back of the pallet and a smaller brain case their teeth are funky too! They have an extra set of incisors.

so I mentioned their funky pelvic bones but what I mean by that is their reproduction is wacko. so like monotremes they have a cloaca and not a vaginal and anal opening. this is why they're "in-between beasts" they have traits that are similar to both ends of the spectrum.

speaking of reproduction their cloaca is subdivided and they will hold eggs internally with a specialized membrane. this membrane surrounds the fetus more than an egg would with a floating placenta surrounding the fetus unlike in us this placenta isn't attached to a uterine horn. Their reproductive structure is also loopy... I'm not kidding look at this shit- this is a kangaroo reproductive structure

WEIRD! They have a pseudovaginal canal which is only there for birth and is part of the cloaca also keep an eye on that second uterus ill get into that more with kangaroos specifically

and it's only in females male reproductive structure is normal

their young are always born underdeveloped. they have an extended lactation period because of this with that special changing milk we mammals have that will deliver the perfect amount of nutrients needed.

so the babies are born super early but those ungrateful little turds have the immediate responsibility to get THEMSELVES into their mother's pouch. Mamma can't help you do everything little Joey.

I need to expand on this because it's fucking INSANE ok so like I said they are underdeveloped and I mean like VERY underdeveloped as in they do not have a full heart or brain yet!!!!! their lungs are just sacks and they don't have a jaw but they DO have a tongue and arms that they use to pull along their mother's hair to get to the milk. again- mama ain't helping you.

Ok i'm ending this here only because this is just general overview stuff and then I'm gonna get into specific species and families next staring with kangaroos :)

[evidence-based-activism]

I understand if you don’t want to answer this, but I am genuinely asking. Can a woman with a DSD and a Y chromosome give birth? Are they still a woman if they have a Y chromosome?

I don’t think so for either but people are claiming otherwise and I’d like the facts

Hi! I understand the confusion!

I recommend this (heavily sourced) Intersex Genetics Masterpost [1].

---

To answer your question "can a woman with a DSD and a Y chromosome give birth?":

In general, most individuals with a DSD with a Y-chromosome (e.g., CAIS, 5ARD, etc.) cannot give birth at all because they do not have a uterus. There are two (sort of) exceptions:

Swyer Syndrome / 46, XY Complete Gonadal Dysgenesis:

This DSD only affects biologically male individuals, due to a genetic mutation disrupting Wolffian structure (male sex organ) development, these individuals instead develop female external and (some) female internal sex organs (i.e., because the female sex development is essentially the default pathway).

They usually develop a uterus but they do not develop functional gonads (ovaries or testes). As such, they do not have any eggs or sperm and are infertile.

However, there have been some individuals with Swyer syndrome who have carried and given birth to a child, using donor eggs and fairly extensive medical fertility interventions (i.e., beyond the standard IVF interventions). However, this is considered very rare [2] and it involves the use of donor eggs. (There are ethical, feminist considerations about the surrogacy/fertility industry, but that's a topic for another post).

XX/XY Mosaicism:

This DSD occurs when "a fraternal twin absorbs its twin zygote at some point in pregnancy, adding the twin’s DNA to different locations in its body, sometimes mixing the DNA sometimes not".

The individual's sex depends on the genetic material in the gonadal tissue (e.g., the tissue that develops into ovaries or testes) an individual with XX gonadal genetics will develop as female, even if the majority of the rest of the body's cells are XY. (For anyone with a bit of genetics experience, this should make sense: even in an XX female you have X-inactivation so that (mostly at least) only one X chromosome is active in each cell.) In other words, the tissue that determines what sexual development process to start (Wolffian or Mullerian) is what determines the phenotype sex of the individual.

As a result of this, you can find an extremely rare case (as in, I can find no other cases) of an individual with predominately XY genetic material (i.e., outside the gonads) can develop a female phenotype, get pregnant, and give birth to children.

Both of these DSD are extremely rare. In each case they are still "of" a specific sex. In other words, if they did not have the genetic mutation resulting in their DSD they would have developed the ability to produce only one type of gamete (either eggs or sperm). As such, they are still either male or female, just with a DSD that results in a substantial phenotypic difference.

---

To answer your question "are they still a woman if they have a Y chromosome?":

If we go by a strict definition: only individuals who are "of the sex" that produces the larger gamete (whether or not they actually do so) are female and only adult female humans are women.

However, there are some biologically male individuals (e.g., people with Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome or Swyer Syndrome) who develop an near-normal externally female phenotype (although they are infertile). These individuals will not know they are not biologically female, and may not ever know (e.g., if they don't have access to medical care capable of diagnosing them). Unfortunately, they will also have (potentially extensive) medical problems.

Personally, my belief is that if someone would be recognized and treated like a woman prior to the advent of modern medical technology, they should be considered a woman now. (And the same for men.) Obviously, they need to work with a doctor to manage their health issues, but these are private medical matters that will have little to no impact on how they experience the world (e.g., how they are perceived and treated). In other words, some biologically male individuals have a DSD that results in the assumption of a female sex from birth; these people will experience the world in similar or identical ways to a infertile (possibly disabled) woman.

As a note, there is also an argument for anyone who is either observed or assigned female at birth to be considered a woman. I understand the argument here, and it would be a useful short hand. Unfortunately, however, I don't think this would adequately consider the nuances of all DSDs, as there are some that result in an individual who was AFAB later (i.e., during puberty) developing a near-normal male phenotype. While this individual's childhood (and possibly adult) experiences are very different than a healthy male, they will not be perceived and treated as women following puberty.

Ultimately, these conditions are extremely rare. The estimate for any true DSD (i.e., either a mismatch between genotype and phenotype or ambiguous primary sex organs) is about 0.018% [4, 5]. (See [4] for a scientific article and [5] for a blog post discussing this data). This means that more than 99.98% of babies are recognizably and correctly identified as either male or female at birth. It would also suggest there are currently less than 1.5 million intersex individuals in the entire world.

References under the cut:

The Intersex Genetics Masterpost. Everything You Could Ever Want to Know | by 21ohdef | Medium. 30 June 2024, https://web.archive.org/web/20240630160344/https://medium.com/@21ohdef/the-intersex-masterpost-bb5a6250e6d6.

Taneja J, Ogutu D, Ah-Moye M. Rare successful pregnancy in a patient with Swyer Syndrome. Case Rep Womens Health. 2016 Oct 18;12:1-2. doi: 10.1016/j.crwh.2016.10.001. PMID: 29629300; PMCID: PMC5885995.

Dumic M, Lin-Su K, Leibel NI, Ciglar S, Vinci G, Lasan R, Nimkarn S, Wilson JD, McElreavey K, New MI. Report of fertility in a woman with a predominantly 46,XY karyotype in a family with multiple disorders of sexual development. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2008 Jan;93(1):182-9. doi: 10.1210/jc.2007-2155. Epub 2007 Nov 13. Erratum in: J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2008 Mar;93(3):1083. PMID: 18000096; PMCID: PMC2190741.

Sax, L. (2002). How common is intersex? A response to Anne Fausto-Sterling. Journal of Sex Research, 39(3), 174–178. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224490209552139

Wright, C. (2020). Intersex Is Not as Common as Red Hair. Reality’s Last Stand. https://www.realityslaststand.com/p/intersex-is-not-as-common-as-red

[butchviking]

Removing your uterus seriously damages the internal abdominal muscle wall since the uterus is structurally connected to those muscles leading to vaginal prolapse (intestine coming out of your vagina since they aren’t held in place). But there’s no physical negative effects to having your ovaries removed, it will stop your periods without causing mass internal damage. I’m a med student looking to work in gynecology and I urge women to understand that the uterus is a vitally important structure, and there are much less invasive procedures for sterilization that won’t hurt you long term while fully removing all the issues you may be having. I will never question a woman about wanting to remove the possibility of having kids in the future, quality of life NOW is what’s important. I just want y’all to know there are much better options that you may not know of.

CAN I JST COMPLAIN ABOUT HOW MUCH PAIN IM IN JESUS CHRIST

[vergess]

the notes on the snake clits post... "don't tell the furries."

me a furry, thinking we've alwasy know snakes have hemiclitores

Lol furries are probably, tbh, the actual reason why this is being studied at all. The clit is a purely sexual organ in a way that even the penis (what with pissing and all) is not. Not even a reproductive organ like the testicles or uterus, but a purely sexual one.

So, it has always been understudied. I mean IIRC it was only about 10 years ago that anyone even thought to check if the human clit has internal structures in addition to the external phallus (it does!).

You know those jokes about the g-spot not existing in some women, etc? Turns out, the "g spot" is caused by erectile tissue in the vaginal canal stimulating those internal structures. Wild shit!!

Anyway, people who aren't deathly fucking afraid of sex (furries, sex workers, kinksters, etc) are basically always the underlying force that encourages this kind of research, and that's just when we aren't the actual researchers ourselves.

Furries aren't just computer scientists. Pretty much all STEM fields are rife with us.