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Women's Health

Women are shocking their boyfriends by showing them how tampons actually work

The viral videos are a great way to educate men on a sensitive topic.

via TikTok

Women shock their boyfriends with tampon tutorials.

Menstrual taboos are as old as time and found across cultures. They've been used to separate women from men physically—menstrual huts are still a thing—and socially, by creating the perception that a natural bodily function is a sign of weakness. Even in today's world, women are deemed unfit for positions of power because some men actually believe they won't be able to handle stressful situations while mensurating.

"Menstruation is an opening for attack: a mark of shame, a sign of weakness, an argument to keep women out of positions of power,' Colin Schultz wrote in Popular Science in 2014. The big problem with menstrual taboos is the way that males are (or are not) educated on the subject leaves them with a patchwork of ideas that don't necessarily add up to the whole picture. First, there's the information they get from growing up with women in the house.

Then, there are the cryptic descriptions of menstruation seen in advertising and the cold, scientific way the topic is taught in sex education.

"Boys' early learning about menstruation is haphazard," a 2011 study published in the Journal of Family Issues reads. "The mysterious nature of what happens to girls contributes to a gap in boys' knowledge about female bodies and to some negative views about girls." Over a decade on from the study, and not much has changed. Men are still woefully undereducated on women's health and periods specifically, and, though there's acknowledgment they deserve more information and education, little progress has been made. In fact, boy's and men's misunderstanding or total lack of understanding surrounding menstruation is often played for laughs.

Unfortunately, the gaps in the average man's understanding of a complex female health issue can put women in a difficult position, whether it's denying them positions of power or a failure to understand their discomfort and their medical, physical, and emotional needs.

That's why it's so important for men to become better educated about menstruation.

A group of women on TikTok are helping the men in their lives better understand the subject by showing them how tampons work on the inside of their bodies. They call it the Boyfriend Challenge. Some of the guys' reactions are clearly over-the-top, but it's also obvious that many of them have no idea how tampons function.

A video by the Demery family has gone viral attracting nearly eight million views. It's fun to watch, but it also shows men how tampons function and what women go through during their monthly cycle.

@thedemeryfamily22

His reaction is priceless😂 #cutecouple #pregnant #prego #viral #InLove #couplegoals #trend #tampon

It's a bit of a facepalm moment that her man think he has to "compete" with a tampon after he's shown how it works, but I digress...

In another video, Rachel's man just uttered the phrase "vagina parachute." Sure, why not.

@mrshillery829

Of course I had to make my husband do this! I will forever call tampons “vagina parachutes”! LMAO!! #tamponchallenge #husbandpranks #funny #fyp


Paulina's man was completely flummoxed by the inner workings of a tampon. "You've been carrying this like, inside of you?" he asks. "The whole day?"

@paulinat

showing him how a tampôn works😭 @fabioguerrrraa

This guy thinks it's "like a butterfly."

@amanialzubi

showing my boyfriend how a tampon works 🤣😳❤️ ( @originalisrael ) #comedy #couple #couplegoals #foryou #trend #tiktok

This guy was in utter shock.

@thekelleyfamily

lmaoooo why 😂😭 #tamponchallenge #trend #hilariouscomedy #couple #married #foryoupage #fyp #xyzbca

Let's hope this challenge gave some men out there a better understanding of what women go through every month and a little more sympathy for the women in their lives. Hopefully it also makes them feel a little more comfortable around period products and inspires them to pick up the correct box of tampons next time they're at the grocery store.

This article originally appeared three years ago.

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Forensics student reveals the two types of women predators target based on how they walk

It's chilling that they all have the same "type."

via Екатерина Шумских/Pexels, Vladimir Konoplev/Pexels and Teona Swift/Pexels

Three women walking down city streets.

A forensics student named Alexandria recently shared vital information on TikTok that all women should know. She detailed the specific signs male predators are looking for when they choose a victim.

Her video is based on a 2013 study entitled “Psychopathy and Victim Selection: The Use of Gait as a Cue to Vulnerability.” For the study, researchers interviewed violent criminals in prison and asked them the type of women they’d be most likely to victimize.

The study found that the criminals all agreed that how the woman walked was a deciding factor.

“What the selected women all had in common was the way that they walked and how they generally held themselves in public,” Alexandria says in the video she later deleted but has been shared broadly across the platform.

@_alf_90_

How to walk for your safety! #women #safety #tips #walking #kidnapping #murder #attacks #fyp

“The selected women all had a similar ‘awkwardness’ to the way that they walked and carried themselves,” she continued. “The first part of the woman had a gait that was a little bit too small for their body, which resulted in smaller steps, slower speed and their arms more typically to their sides, or crossed, as well as their heads being down and not really taking in their general surroundings, which indicated three different things to these potential attackers.”

The woman’s body language signaled to attackers that she was fearful and anxious and because her head was down, she'd be easier to surprise. Alex then described the second type of woman the criminals said they’d target.

“On the other hand, the other part of the women that were selected had a gait that seemed a bit too big for their body and their arms tended to flail to the sides and seemed just overly awkward,” Alexandria continued.

The woman with the bigger gait signaled to potential attackers that she may be clumsy and won’t put up a good fight. “Because their arms were out and flailing to the side, it left the lower body open to, again, come around and grab them,” she said.

women, walking, predators, crime, body languageWomen walking down a street.Image via Canva Photos.

The video was helpful because Alexandria also discussed the types of women the attackers wouldn’t pursue. Alex says these women “walked with a gait that tended to be more natural to their body.” She adds they moved at the same pace as those in the immediate area, with their shoulders back and chins up and asserting a general sense of confidence.

“Essentially, the women that were not selected gave off an energy that said, ‘Don’t mess with me. I will put up a good fight.’ And that’s why they weren’t selected,” Alex said. “I know that it sounds silly, but something as simple as the way you walk or the way that you carry yourself in public could determine the likelihood that you become a target of a predator.”

According to the Center for Violence Prevention and Self Defense Training, detecting vulnerability is the biggest factor in who predators choose to victimize. Confusion, isolation, appearing insecure, unaware, unassertive, or distracted all play a part in who predators target, but being aware of these factors can increase safety considerably. They also note that access plays a part in being targeted, stating that, "Attackers tend to target people positioned near entrances, exits, or secluded areas where they can quickly grab and escape without arousing suspicion."

woman, crime, predator, safety, awarenessWoman aware of her surroundings in a parking garage. Image via Canva Photos.

Alexandria concluded her video by sharing an acronym that can help prevent women from being victimized while in public: STAAR.

S(tride): Walk with a natural stride to your body with steps that are not too far apart or short.

T(all): Stand tall. Keep your shoulders back and your chin up. Assert a natural confidence and dominance to those around you.

A(rms): Swing your arms naturally by your sides, avoiding keeping them too close to your body or flailing out of your natural range of motion.

A(wareness): Stay aware of your surroundings. Take notice if something feels or looks off.

R(elax): Stay cool, calm, and collected and don’t indicate to a potential attacker that you feel or see something is wrong.


This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.

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Woman has cyst removed and is stunned to learn it had teeth, hair, and maybe even an eyeball

They're called teratomas, and they are the stuff of nightmares. They're also really misunderstood.

Canva Photos & E.dronism - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

Woman lying in hospital bed.

The human body is fascinating and, to this day even, full of mysteries. Did you know there's a condition called Stoneman Syndrome where a person's ligaments slowly transform into bones? Or how about Persistent Sexual Arousal Syndrome where a person lives their entire life on the brink of orgasm? Or how about Auto-brewery Syndrome, where a person's gut biome naturally creates alcohol out of normal foods and beverages, thereby making them intoxicated without drinking a drop of booze?

The body is capable of extraordinary and extremely bizarre things, that's for sure.

That was certainly the case when 20-year-old Savannah Stuthers went in for a relatively routine cyst removal that turned out to be anything but.

Stuthers dealt with months of cramps, pain, and even bleeding—which doctors told her was normal after having an IUD inserted—before she couldn't take it anymore and took herself to the emergency room.

There, ER docs discovered a sizable cyst on one of her ovaries. Because the cyst was so large, the OBGYN at the hospital wanted to have it removed as soon as possible. Within a few days, Stuthers went under the knife.

When she woke up from the anesthesia, the doctors had news. Her mom was there to capture the moment Stuthers heard that what was removed from her body was no normal ovarian cyst. It was a teratoma—a unique kind of tumor that grows from germ cells (cells that eventually become sperm or, in Stuthers' case, eggs). Because of their origin, teratomas frequently grow hair and even teeth, along with various kinds of tissue. The teratoma inside Stuthers' ovary had all that, and more... The surgeons even thought Stuther's teratoma may have had an eyeball! (Later testing ruled this out... close call!)

Here's the exact moment Savannah Stuthers learned what had been growing inside of her:

teratoma, tumor, cancer, women's health, women, health, hospital, doctor, OBGYN, reproductive health, ovarian cystSavannah Struthers was horrified to learn that her cyst was actually not a cyst at all.www.tiktok.com

Stuthers posted the photo on TikTok where it went mega-viral to the tune of 34 million views. The morbid curiosity in the comment thread was absolutely off the charts. Many people had never heard of teratomas before, and most of them wish they still hadn't.

"Girl I could have went my entire life without looking up what a teratoma is," one wrote.

"I just looked at photos of teratomas and it made my arm get chills," a user added.

"it's crazy the body can actually create new eyes and teeth and THIS is what it chooses to use that ability for," said another.

Other commenters were just here to applaud the teratoma representation:

"this happened to me, they removed my ovary with the teratoma and my surgeous said it burst on her 😩 I was the first surgery of the day"

"this happened to my sister but there were brain cells in hers, causing her anti bodies to fight off both the teratoma braincells as well as her actual braincells putting her in a coma for 4 months. it was awful."

Of course, there were plenty of jokes, too:

"Why am I picturing Mike Wazoski from Monsters Inc???" one user said.

"Can we see it? ❌ Can it see us? ✅" joked another.

Mostly, people just wanted to know if they could see a picture of the actual teratoma. Stuthers did eventually show a photo briefly in a follow up video, but luckily for us, we can get a better look at these things through a plethora of high-res online images.

Ready? If you're squeamish, you might want to look away now.

teratoma, tumor, cancer, women's health, women, health, hospital, doctor, OBGYN, reproductive health, ovarian cystA teratoma with lots and lots of hair growth.Ed Uthman, MD. - Public Domain

Stuthers was not about to let her newfound virality go to waste: She set right to work busting myths and misconceptions about teratomas.

Obviously, with 34 million viewers and many who had never heard of teratomas, she was going to get a lot of questions. She also got a lot of opinions that needed correcting.

"Those things form from sperm so tell your man to get a better pull out game or use protection," one commenter said. In a response video, Stuthers simply wags her finger: Uh, no. Teratomas form from germ cells, which can turn into sperm, but they have nothing at all to do with sexual activity.

Another asked if the teratoma formed from a pregnancy gone wrong in the early stages. "So you would've maybe had a viable pregnancy but it didn't make it down into the uterus." Stuthers responded by citing that teratomas are actually congenital tumors, meaning they are present or begin forming prior to birth. So this was lurking in her body for a long time before it reached critical mass and had to be removed, and again, has nothing to do with her sexual activity whatsoever.

(Sorry, one more photo incoming.)

teratoma, tumor, cancer, women's health, women, health, hospital, doctor, OBGYN, reproductive health, ovarian cystAn ovarian teratoma with a long strand of visible hair.E.dronism - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

In an interview with Newsweek, Stuthers said that discovering the teratoma inside of her made her feel "gross."

"It messed me up for a while thinking about how I never knew that it was there. In a way, it made me feel gross. The photo of the tumor truly altered my brain chemistry," she said. But that couldn't be further from the truth. Teratomas, while admittedly a little freaky and frightening, are really no different than any other kind of tumor. It's their origin from germ cells which makes them capable of growing human tissue, teeth, hair, and eyeball-like structures.

But they're understandably hard to talk about. And so as a result, the general public doesn't understand teratomas very well. But Stuthers is working to change that with her follow-up videos on TikTok.

She also wants to encourage young women to advocate for themselves medically. Doctors dismissed her pain and discomfort for months before she finally went to the ER, and she's urging women to trust their gut and fight for their own bodies:

"I got lucky as we found it in time so nothing too extreme happened. But I can't help but think that if my doctors in Illinois would've listened, I would still have both ovaries. It is so important for women to express our pain and not allow doctors to invalidate us."

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Three moms share how they survived pregnancy related heart failure and symptoms to look for

Black women are at a much higher risk for the rare condition and no one knows why.

Photo credit: Canva

Moms share their symptoms of pregnancy related heart failure.

While many view pregnancy as not only natural but a beautiful part of the human experience, it can be easy to forget that pregnancy can also be extremely dangerous. The body goes through many intense changes that can really take a heavy toll: everything from gaining an extra 15 to 30+ pounds and organs being rearranged to make room for a growing fetus, to your heart pumping an excess amount of blood throughout the body.

It can all take an immense toll on the body, which can sometimes lead to serious pregnancy related illnesses like preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, hyperemesis gravidarum, and heart failure. Upworthy spoke with three women during Black Maternal Health Week (April 11-17, 2025) who survived peripartum cardiomyopathy, better known as pregnancy related heart failure. Though the condition is extremely rare, Black women are at a much higher risk of experiencing it though researchers currently aren't sure why.

pregnancy, mothers, babies, black mothers, black maternal health weekDoctor checking on a pregnant woman. Photo credit: Canva

Tina Marsden, Tracey Young and Tiara Johnson all experienced pregnancy related heart failure during pregnancy or shortly after the birth of their second children. Given their unique experiences, they are all working to make sure other women know what symptoms to look for so they can be treated early to improve chances of survival.

Each of the women had symptoms that could've been brushed off as normal symptoms of pregnancy. In fact, Marsden's symptoms were initially dismissed. "Looking back, I experienced abnormal levels of fluid retention and shortness of breath during my last trimester," she said. "I was already on bedrest due to an incompetent cervix that caused me to start dilating at just 13 weeks into my pregnancy. Even still, my symptoms were considered normal for a high risk pregnancy, instead of being viewed as warning signs for my individual case."

pregnant woman, pregnancy, pregnancy health, black maternal health week, womenPregnant woman looks at a tablet while holding her belly. Photo credit: Canva

While both Young and Johnson's symptoms were marked by shortness of breath, Young nearly missed the warning sign, telling Upworthy, "Shortly after giving birth to my second child, Amber, I began experiencing shortness of breath. Initially, I attributed this to the physical demands of having just given birth and chose to overlook it. However, as the weeks progressed and the symptoms persisted, I started to wonder if I was developing asthma. I found it difficult to lie flat on my back, and even a brief shower left me feeling exhausted as if I had just run a marathon. After six weeks of these symptoms, I decided to schedule an appointment with my Primary Care Physician."

Johnson also initially dismissed the warning. Having a baby is taxing on the body, so it's unsurprising that some of the symptoms were attributed to recently giving birth. "I was out of breath doing small things like just walking from one room to another. At first, I chalked it up to having just had a baby, but deep down, I knew something wasn’t right. I felt nothing like I did with my first daughter and fatigue was beyond 'new mom tired.' My heart would race, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe both laying down and sitting up."

pregnant woman, black woman, black maternal health week, motherhood, doctor, Doctor examines a pregnant woman.Photo credit: Canva

One might think that recognizing the symptoms would be enough to get the care that is needed, but unfortunately that isn't always the case. Johnson had to visit the hospital multiple times just to get someone to listen to her, she explains to Upworthy: "Yes, I had a lot of trouble. I went to the hospital multiple times before anyone really listened to me. I kept being told it was postpartum anxiety or just stress from being a new mom but it was heart failure. I needed a transplant from the start, but my heart was too weak and my BMI was too high to qualify. I had to fight for every ounce of care I got."

Marsden also found herself fighting to get the medical attention that she initially needed. "While I was under the care of a high risk ob/gyn I still felt like my concerns were not being heard. I encourage expecting mothers to seek a second opinion, and not allow their individual case to be dismissed as 'normal.' There's a thin line between normal symptoms and warning signs of pregnancy induced heart failure, which can have life-altering effects. It's been over two decades since my PPCM diagnosis; and thankfully my Abbott HeartMate II LVAD is helping me to sustain life."

pregnant woman, woman with child, kids, pregnant, pregnancy, pregnancy heart failure. Pregnant woman. Photo credit: Canva

The story of trying to convince medical professionals to take concerns seriously seems to be a common theme, but thankfully Young found a listening ear in her primary care physician. It was during her routine checkup that she mentioned her elevated blood pressure at her last OBGYN check up, Young says the conversation ended there. "After my evaluation, my Primary Care Physician promptly responded to my medical needs by contacting 911, which led to my transportation to the hospital’s emergency room. The hospital cardiologist diagnosed me with Post-Partum Cardiomyopathy. The prognosis I was given was grim, as I was told I would not live to see my daughter turn five."

It was due to the women's determination to advocate for themselves that they're still here to tell their stories to shed light for other expectant moms. The biggest piece of advice all the women give is to listen to your body if something doesn't feel right.

pregnant woman, pregnancy, woman eating, woman with child, pregnant Pregnancy can be high risk for some. Photo credit: Canva

"If you feel unsure about your health or believe something might be wrong, please don’t hesitate to seek medical advice immediately. Having questions is normal, and being your advocate during this time is so important," Young says.

"My advice to expectant moms is not to be afraid or dismissive. Some moms hear stories from others and fear the worst, while others assume those cases are just 'rare' incidents. I encourage expectant moms to consider the experiences shared by advocates like myself as Awareness Tools. Expectant moms should discuss the various Awareness Tools they've come across with their healthcare team to devise a plan that best fits their family's needs," Marsden shares.

"To anyone who feels something is off—please don’t ignore it. Push for answers. Advocate for yourself and don’t stop until you get the care you deserve. You don’t have to be a doctor to know something’s wrong in your body. Never be afraid to get a second opinion," Johnson adds.

pregnancy, pregnant woman, ultrasound, pregnancy health, maternal healthcareWoman receiving an ultrasound. Photo credit: Canva

Each of these women have become advocates so no other mom has to go through what they have without being armed with knowledge. They were all helped by ABBOTT heart devices. Though, Johnson ultimately ended up getting a heart transplant, she credits her ABBOTT devices with giving her the life she thought she'd lose back to her.

"Receiving a diagnosis of heart failure doesn’t signify the end; instead, it opens the door to a new way of living life. Thanks to numerous medical advancements, people with heart failure can achieve a fulfilling life," reveals Young.

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