Objective To determine the relationship between increased body hair growth in women and serum sex hormone level, body mass index, and clinical signs. Sample and methods The sample group consisted of 186 women, 18–35 year old residents of Lithuania who were referred to the Clinic of Endocrinology, Kaunas University of Medicine Hospital in 2002–2004 and complained for increased body hair growth. Exclusion criteria: 1) taking systemic medications within the period shorter than three months before the beginning of the study; 2) specific reasons of excessive body hair growth, such as androgen secreting adrenal or ovarian tumors, hyperprolactinemia, Cushing syndrome; 3) thyroid dysfunction. A total number of 37 women were excluded from further study. Statistical analysis was performed on 149 women. Increased body hair growth was assessed using Ferriman-Gallwey (F-G) method. Blood samples were drawn in the morning (08:00–10:00 h), in the early follicular phase, with an exclusion of 7 women with amenorrhea, while the blood sample of 12 women with oligomenorrhea was drawn following at least 2 months after the last menstruation. Serum hormones (total testosterone (T), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), free androgen index (FAI), dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) level were measured using the commercial kits. FAI was calculated as follows: T (nmol/l) × 100/ SHBG (nmol/l). Results The significance of correlations between the F-G score and the tested variables decreased in the... [to full text]

Följande studie syftar till att kvalitativt undersöka reklamfilmer av varumärket Gillette Venus, genom en multimodal kritisk diskursanalys. Det valda materialet analyseras på två nivåer: denotation och konnotation. Syftet med studien är att diskursivt analysera hur kvinnors kroppsbehåring konstrueras diskursivt, samt om diskurserna har utvecklats med tiden. Avsikten med studien är att bidra med kunskap om hur kvinnors kroppsbehåring konstrueras i reklamfilmer och att belysa den bakomliggande ideologin bakom skildringen. Studien kommer att undersöka fyra reklamfilmer av Gillette Venus: "Gillette Venus Disposable Razor" (2005), "Venus Embrace" (2010), "#UseYourAnd" (2015) och "My Skin. My Way. Stories: Ofey” (2021). För att uppnå syftet med studien, använder analysen sig av det teoretiska ramverket av genusperformativitet, könsnormer och genus i reklam. Resultaten av studien visar att sättet som Gillette Venus konstruerar kvinnors kroppsbehåring har förändrats delvis till följd av förändringen från tredje vågen av feminism till fjärde vågen av feminism i början av 2010-talet. Utöver detta drar studien slutsatsen att Gillette Venus fortsätter att skildra en traditionell syn på kvinnors kroppshår, genom att de inte visar det eller nämner det i sina respektive reklamfilmer. Den skildrade kontextualiseringen av varför kvinnor bör raka sig förändras dock. Därför är den primära slutsatsen av studien att kvinnors kroppshår fortsätter att porträtteras i Gillette Venus reklamfilmer som något kvinnor måste bli av med, även om resonemanget varför förändras med tiden. / The following study aims to qualitatively examine commercials by the brand Gillette Venus, through a multimodal critical discourse analysis. The chosen material is analysed on two levels: denotation and connotation. The purpose of the study is to discursively analyse how women's body hair is discursively constructed and if the discourses have evolved over time. The intention of the study is to contribute with knowledge regarding how women’s body hair is portrayed in commercials and highlight the underlying ideology behind the portrayal. The study will examine four commercials by Gillette Venus: “Gillette Venus Disposable Razor” (2005), “Venus Embrace” (2010), “#UseYourAnd” (2015) and “My Skin. My Way. Stories: Ofey” (2021). In order to achieve the purpose of the study, the analysis uses the theoretical framework of gender performativity, gender norms and gender in advertising. The results of the study show that the way in which Gillette Venus constructs women's body hair has changed partly, as a result of the change from third wave feminism to the fourth wave of feminism in the early 2010s. Furthermore, the study also concludes that Gillette Venus continues to portray a traditional view on women's body hair, in that they do not show it nor mention it in their respective commercials. However, the portrayed contextualisation as to why women should shave does change. Thus, the prominent conclusion of the study is that women’s body hair continues to be portrayed in Gillette Venus commercials as something women must get rid of, although the reasoning behind it does change with time.

The portrayal of women in commercials is intertwined with patriarchal structures and power hierarchies found in Western contemporary society, which stem from the Judeo-Christian binary of a ‘clean/messy’ body as introduced by St. Augustine (354 – 430 CE). This portrayal of women and its effect on their self-esteem, as well as consumerism, have considerable implications for the gender dynamics in modern Western societies. Therefore, the aim of this thesis is to explore the interdependent relationship between feminine hygiene product commercials, feminist movements and women’s self-esteem.The goal of this thesis is twofold. First, a multimodal discourse analysis of four advertisements from Always and Venus will be performed to uncover to what extent feminine hygiene product commercials are adjusting their portrayal of the female body according to feminist movements. Secondly, four qualitative semi-structured interviews will be conducted to examine how the portrayal of women in these commercials affect women’s self-esteem. This thesis’ research draws from feminist theories, Representation Theory, Consumer Culture Theory (CCT), and the Hierarchy of Effects Theory (HET).The findings of the analysis imply that the companies have made some adjustments in the way they are portraying women in accordance with the feminist movements. However, both the analysis of the commercials and the interviews imply that more improvements are necessary. The thesis comes to the conclusion that feminine hygiene product commercials can affect the self-esteem of women by creating (unrealistic) norms about how a female body should look and function. / <p>B</p>

Submitted by Franciele Moreira (francielemoreyra@gmail.com) on 2018-12-03T13:10:26Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Anna Behatriz Alves de Azevêdo - 2018.pdf: 5630849 bytes, checksum: ce662d49b584fdbad8948383034da855 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2018-12-03T13:21:59Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Anna Behatriz Alves de Azevêdo - 2018.pdf: 5630849 bytes, checksum: ce662d49b584fdbad8948383034da855 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-12-03T13:21:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Anna Behatriz Alves de Azevêdo - 2018.pdf: 5630849 bytes, checksum: ce662d49b584fdbad8948383034da855 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-09-03 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The following dissertation aims to reflect on the body through the perspective of the relationship in which bodies are able to affect and be affected by the bias of perception and sensation which comprise the vibrating body. The methodological path of this research is divided into three chapters that contaminate each other and the chosen method is Cartography. It is to lead the discussions through text in which images, conversations and, especially the performance / program created by me in 2015 titled Abduction for small revolutions, are triggers for the development of essays that permeate report of experience and academic writing. The ideas of absurdity, the paradoxical latency of the living (tangles of life and death), relations of domination and submission, are part of the scope of the discussions, and hair, be it in the head or outside it, is the main element for triggering affairs. Together and through the images and conversations, I articulate reflections and self-reflections about and with such an element chained in experiences, both in the artistic production bias as in the daily life. In the first chapter I started with the image of a photograph of Ana (my mother), together and through conversations with her in everyday life, we come to the idea of ​​the Lost Braid which is the return to aspects of her history. This braid is a force that opens the door to questions about absences generated by naturalizations that actions and segregating discourses form in our bodies, such as those generated by symbolic violence, linked to the androcentric and phlogologocentric logics, The Lost Braid is a force that rubs image, conversation and written, in the midst of the narrated memories of picking nits and lice as activators of affections. In the second chapter Screaming Hooks, I work with the logic of sensation and the concept of &quot;body-vibrating.&quot; In relationships created by the gestures of scratching and shaving the head, I also come to the experience of a vertiginous and reeling body that can be restored or not, such sensations are potentialized from the &quot;affects of vitality.&quot; In addition, I outline situations and experiences about and with the hair and the maintenance of the shaved head, presenting some examples of images of women who had their hair shaved and reports of artists, mostly women, in which the hair element or the absence of it in the head is present in his works. Finally I enter the third chapter entitled Body-Hair in which the performance / program Abduction for small revolutions is field of study. I present this work to 12 people and I develop a dialogue with them about the event of the action and the elements (especially the hair and the absence of it in the head) and gestures that compose it. So to speak, I start from the assumption that the body in performance / artistic program is a body that acts in relation to other bodies. Since then, the performance / Abduction program for small revolutions is revealed from this encounter, thus creating perspectives around the absurd, the paradoxical latency of the living that can define a set of affections, which move the body from the place of mere instrument and artistic tool for the place of experience and re-existence. / A dissertação a seguir, tem como objetivo refletir sobre o corpo através da perspectiva da relação, em que corpos são capazes de afetarem e serem afetados, pelo viés da percepção e sensação as quais compreendem o “corpo-vibrátil”. O percurso metodológico desta pesquisa está dividido em três capítulos que se contaminam entre si e o método escolhido é a Cartografia. Trata-se de conduzir as discussões através de texto em que imagens, conversas e, sobretudo a performance/programa criada por mim em 2015 intitulada Abdução para pequenas revoluções, são gatilhos para o desenvolvimento de ensaios que permeiam relato de experiência e escrita acadêmica. As ideias de absurdo, latência paradoxal do vivo (emaranhados de vida e morte), relações de dominação e submissão, são parte do escopo das discussões e o cabelo, seja ele na cabeça ou fora dela, constitui o elemento principal para deflagrar os assuntos. Junto e através das imagens e conversas, articulo reflexões e autorreflexões sobre e com tal elemento encadeado em experiências, tanto no viés de produção artística quanto no cotidiano. No primeiro capítulo parto da imagem de uma fotografia de Ana (minha mãe), junto e através de conversas realizadas com ela no dia-a-dia, chegamos à ideia da Trança Perdida que é o retorno a aspectos da história dela. Esta trança é força que dá abertura para questionamentos sobre ausências geradas por naturalizações que ações e discursos segregadores formam em nossos corpos, como os gerados por violência simbólica, atreladas à lógicas androcêntricas e falologocêntricas. A Trança Perdida é uma força que fricciona imagem, conversa e escrita, em meio à memórias narradas de catar lêndeas e piolhos como ativadoras de afetos. No segundo capítulo Madeixas que Gritam, trabalho com a lógica da sensação e o conceito de “corpo-vibrátil”. Em relações criadas pelos gestos de coçar e raspar a cabeça, chego também à experiência de um corpo vertiginoso e cambaleante que pode se restabelecer ou não, tais sensações são potencializadas a partir dos “afetos de vitalidade”. Além disso, delineio situações e experiências sobre e com o cabelo e a manutenção da cabeça raspada, apresentando alguns exemplos de imagens de mulheres que tiveram suas cabeças tosquiadas e relatos de artistas, em sua maioria mulheres, em que o elemento cabelo ou a ausência dele na cabeça está presente em seus trabalhos. Por fim entro no terceiro capítulo intitulado Corpo-Cabelo em que a performance/programa Abdução para pequenas revoluções é campo de estudo. Apresento este trabalho para 12 pessoas e desenvolvo um diálogo com elas sobre o acontecimento da ação e os elementos (sobretudo o cabelo e a ausência dele na cabeça) e gestos que a compõem. Por assim dizer, parto da suposição de que o corpo em performance/programa artística/o é um corpo que atua em relação a outros corpos. Desde então, a performance/programa Abdução para pequenas revoluções se revela a partir deste encontro, criando assim perspectivas em torno do absurdo, da latência paradoxal do vivo que podem definir um conjunto de afetos, os quais deslocam o corpo do lugar de mero instrumento e ferramenta artística para o lugar da experiência e re-existência.

Relation between body hair removal, body care and sexuality Although hair removal has been described as a "new norm" during the past decades, only a little is known about body hair removal patterns of women in the Czech Republic. The purpose of this study was to assess leg, underam an pubic hair removal behavior among women in the Czech Republic and to test the degree to which hair removal in various parts of the body is associated with body care as such, that is, to find out if it has become an integral part of women's daily body care practices or whether it is regarded as a rather specific one, unrelated to one's other body care habits. Furthermore, an association with sexual experience has been tested, along with attitudes towards sex and one's genitals, which have been shown to be a significant intervening factor by some authors. Last but not least, the importance of various reasons mostly given for hair removal has been assessed as well. First, a total of 15 women aged 19 to 46 years were interviewed in a pilot qualitative study. Then a total of 111 women aged 20 to 30 years completed an Internet-based survey by means of which quantitative data were obtained on basic demographics, body care, body hair removal practices and reasons for doing so, attitudes to one's genitals and to various sexual...

The portrayal of women in commercials is intertwined with patriarchal structures and power hierarchies found in Western contemporary society, which stem from the Judeo-Christian binary of a ‘clean/messy’ body as introduced by St. Augustine (354 – 430 CE). This portrayal of women and its effect on their self-esteem, as well as consumerism, have considerable implications for the gender dynamics in modern Western societies. Therefore, the aim of this thesis is to explore the interdependent relationship between feminine hygiene product commercials, feminist movements and women’s self-esteem.  The goal of this thesis is twofold. First, a multimodal discourse analysis of four advertisements from Always and Venus will be performed to uncover to what extent feminine hygiene product commercials are adjusting their portrayal of the female body according to feminist movements. Secondly, four qualitative semi-structured interviews will be conducted to examine how the portrayal of women in these commercials affect women’s self-esteem. This thesis’ research draws from feminist theories, Representation Theory, Consumer Culture Theory (CCT), and the Hierarchy of Effects Theory (HET).  The findings of the analysis imply that the companies have made some adjustments in the way they are portraying women in accordance with the feminist movements. However, both the analysis of the commercials and the interviews imply that more improvements are necessary. The thesis comes to the conclusion that feminine hygiene product commercials can affect the self-esteem of women by creating (unrealistic) norms about how a female body should look and function.