Who has the authority to start a podcast? Zoom-based shero of belittled women everywhere, Jackie Weaver, that’s who. And she’s using her new platform to tackle those truly important issues keeping you awake at night, including scones (jam or cream first?!) and whether Morris dancing should be a criminal offence. And let’s not forget the historical issue of whether a Jaffa Cake is indeed a cake or a biscuit.
We’re greeting these discussions (and Jackie declaring male cyclists’ Lycra a borderline sex crime) with glee. With so much depressing news, sometimes you just need a quintessentially twee podcast discussing the curiosities of life. All with a jaunty jingle, donations to Anti-Bullying pro, and a big eff-you to men telling women to get back in their box.
More things to greet with glee this week are studies that could lead to healthier pregnancies and our resident terror getting her sinuous tentacles on some terrible science reporting.
Yours in perpetual Jaffa Cake disagreement,
The HEX team
TIT BITS
Keeping abreast of the latest news, views, and research
Is COVID sexist?
It’s a question that scientists have been pondering since the early days of the pandemic – why do women typically have better outcomes after contracting COVID-19? Previously, it was thought that men’s higher levels of testosterone relative to women made them more susceptible to hospitalisation or death from the virus. But a new study shows that men with higher testosterone actually have better outcomes than those with low testosterone. It’s all a bit mysterious... more research, please!
To induce, or not to induce?
As the end of pregnancy nears, women can be pretty uncomfortable, praying for their 9-month tenant to hurry up and move the F out. But should induction of labour be done for non-medical reasons? This long-term study found that it is associated with more adverse outcomes (such as infections) than spontaneous birth. With more and more women being induced worldwide, the authors say that they should be given the information on the known outcomes and have their views considered. That’d be nice, wouldn’t it? In the meantime, please allow us to point you towards the traditional “methods” of getting labour going. Even if they’re not guaranteed to work, at least you get a curry out of it (also works for constipation).
Bloody disgrace
In the UK, 36% of girls aged 14–21 have struggled to afford or access period products during the pandemic, according to charity Plan International. Of these girls, 73% had to resort to using toilet paper – and we all know how ineffective that can be. Others cut back on food, clothes, or other hygiene products in order to afford period products. Only half of the girls polled (49%) reported access to free products via school or college. We don’t know what to say, frankly. It’s 2021 – how is this still a thing? How is access to this completely basic hygiene product not an absolute given? We're not charging schoolchildren for other hygiene essentials, like bog roll or soap, so why period products? SpongeBob has the answer...
Placenta power
Researcher Amanda N. Sferruzzi-Perri and her team at Cambridge University recently revealed that signals released from the placenta could predict pregnancy complications like gestational diabetes. It’s still early days, but the scientists believe the markers could be detected with a simple blood test and help diagnose complications before symptoms develop, so women can get treatment earlier in pregnancy. If it works, it could make a big difference to outcomes for mothers and babies. Wonderful news – to celebrate, placenta smoothies all round! (or not)
TO THE KRAKEN 🦑
Read all about it! Sexist stereotyping lands red top rag in deep water
In the Kraken’s sights this week is some of the worst science reporting we’ve seen in a while. The reliably disappointing Sun newspaper recently claimed that “SCIENCE confirms what we all knew — women are turned on by charm and cash while men go on looks.”
Between the sexist stereotypes of shallow men and gold-digging women, and the inaccurate “journalism”, Ms K isn’t sure what to smite first.
The results from the study, which asked online daters what they look for in a potential partner, reveal a much less bleak picture, with trust and openness the most important thing for both genders.
Overall, men and women actually value similar traits. Men did care slightly more about appearance, but they were less interested in looks as they got older (and wiser?). Women reported being choosier on most aspects, including personality, intelligence and income, but money was still the least important trait for both sexes.
Luckily, the Kraken has tentacles enough to take down any amount of misinformation and has consigned not only the article but the entire “newspaper” to the briny depths.
More things jamming up our scones this week:
Is Yoko Ono a witch? | Poor lonely clitoris | The Vagina Monopod talks period poverty | One woman searches through the BS to find her orgasm | A brilliant Venus Williams mic drop moment | All-grrrl punk band sitcom We Are Ladyparts
The HEX Science team
🧬Jean Splicer | ☢ Marie Fury | 🧠 Rorschach Tess | 🔬 Rosalind Frankly