DON’T OVARY REACT

was on the top of my foot. It’s not a placement that people often choose because the pain index for feet is relatively high.”

With more people (particularly Asians) wanting tattoos, Lin has two pieces of advice for those on the fence. The first one is simple: Get the tattoo. He believes tattoo acceptance is only becoming stronger with time. And second? Go a little bigger than you think it should be.

And while Lin is still a little sorrowful about his parents accepting his chosen career, he’s hopeful. “After the legalization of weed, I think one or two more generations later, tattoos and tattoo artists will unquestionably become more acceptable in North America and around the world,” he says. “My mother possibly will change her mind and support my career in less than a year, hopefully.” And he’s already witnessed a change in attitudes: when he worked at an accounting firm in Toronto, his boss was covered from head to toe in tattoos. ■

Does it hurt down there? Book an appointment. Late period? Same. Just curious? Do it. BY HAO DUONG

It took three months (and a few bottles of wine) for Megan Lam to start connecting with her partner through sex. One time, they got a little carried away and forgot to use a condom. (Lam only realized that was the case when things felt a little different). While the couple quickly rectified the situation, Lam still opted to take Plan B as a fail-safe measure. It worked, but the cramps and the dull, frequent pain hit almost immediately after. Panicky as she was, Lam booked an appointment with her gynecologist for some assurance.

Lam’s decision isn’t as common as it should be. Many women experience anxiety at the thought of having a pelvic exam, and for some, embarrassment and discomfort can deter them from visiting a gynecologist altogether. Very Well Health, a medically reviewed online publication, notes that some women might not communicate their feelings and concerns for fear of “uncaring and patronizing” doctors. Moreover, as a paper published by the Journal of Primary Care and Community Health explains, anxiety may also derive from lack of experience related to sex and pelvic exams.

Lam doesn’t deny that she also experiences many of those feelings, but she has also come to appreciate that these appointments aren’t always scary. “Not every visit means you wear a gown, sit on a chair and spread your legs,” she says. “There were a lot of times that I went there just to have quick answers and suggestions [to my concerns.]”

As someone who grew up in a sometimes awkward transition between a traditional Eastern culture and a more liberal Western counterpart, Lam never had conversations about the birds and the bees with her parents, and they can be strict even when she casually hangs out with another boy. Sex was once taboo for Lam, albeit only subconsciously.

So, while she has grown to embrace it more now, she still cautiously exchanges reliable clinic locations with female friends, as if whispering a national secret. “I thought everyone would react the same way my parents would if they found out that I’ve been having pelvic exams,” she says. “Or worse, what if my parents directly found out that I’ve been doing it for years?” After all, the World Health Organization notes that there are more than one million STIs diagnosed every day, with most being asymptomatic. Lam was just as worried that someone might think she was STI-positive just because of these visits.

But each visit would slowly be less scary than the previous, as she has learned more from her doctor. Through conversations and exams, Lam has become more comfortable sharing her feelings and concerns. She now knows a glossary of terms she never expected to remember, like HPV vaccinations or Depo shots.

And it’s terms like this that teach Lam more about her health, both physically and mentally. “It’s not just about maintaining a healthy sex life,” she says. “For me, it can be an act of self-love. Which is why I have gynecological appointments in the first place.” ■