Procuring reliable reproductive health care can be a difficult task under the best of circumstances. Factor in increasing political restrictions on basic health care and the unfamiliarity of traveling to a new area and the search can seem like more trouble than it’s worth; a circumstance which ultimately puts health at risk.
However, an open-source database known as Gynopedia is emerging as a resource in the search for women’s health care throughout the world. The site is searchable by both city and services, which can include emergency contraception, disease testing, and pregnancy exams.
Further, the site recommends safe and reputable clinics for pregnancy terminations based on user feedback.
The creator of Gynopedia, Lani Fried, pursued the idea to fill a need that she came across in her own life. When asked about the inspiration for the site, she simply replied, “Honestly, because I couldn’t find anything like it.” The realization came last year when she realized how difficult it was to procure useful information for her upcoming trip to Asia.
She states on the site:
“…I’m someone who has been uninsured, in need of health care and lost in cities many times — and that’s just me. There are millions of women who have it much worse — cut off from information and progressive health care, isolated from so many resources.
A substantial threat to the efficacy of a crowdsourced medical resource, especially one pertaining to the mired issue of reproductive rights, is the risk of bad information, intentional or not. Such a site would likely serve as an obvious target of those fighting against women’s access to reproductive medical services.
As of now, there are guidelines in place, but nothing foolproof. However, she hopes that a loyal and diligent community surrounding the site will serve to keep the information topical and uncompromised. Fried says, “My main goal now is to recruit more contributors so that we can grow into a full-on Wiki and always be current.”
Hopefully, her efforts will be enough to ease the burden of finding basic health care when women are away from home.
Friends can help us with all kinds of things in life. How could I forget moving that piano for friends in Chicago? Fortunately, none of us ended up in the ER.
One of the most important things friends do, though, might seem surprising: They help us get to know ourselves.
Both in their 50s, Cindy and Ann had been friends since the second grade. Year after year, they never missed a birthday. Cindy would give Ann gourmet popcorn or maybe a sweatshirt from her alma mater, while Ann would give Cindy a special book on a topic that interested her, or maybe an old batch of family recipes. At one point, it dawned on Cindy just how thoughtful Ann’s gifts were. It wasn’t about the cost. “She really thinks about my life and what I’m doing,” Cindy said. “It’s amazing. Ann is just really thoughtful.”
Cindy had always imagined herself as a thoughtful person, too. But in comparing the kinds of gifts they sent to each other, she realized that she was not thinking about Ann in the way that Ann was thinking about her. And so began her deliberate process of becoming more thoughtful – as a result of the self-insight she had gained from her friendship with Ann.
As a philosopher and philosophical counselor, I’ve noticed the pronounced connection between friendship and self-knowledge in my counseling practice. Cindy and Ann are one example among many. I’ve come to the conclusion that to really know yourself, it’s necessary to have good friends.
The link between self-knowledge and friendship was key for Aristotle, too, more than 2,000 years ago. “Eudaimonia” – roughly translated as living well, or happiness – often remains elusive, yet Aristotle believed it didn’t have to be. Eudaimonia is largely within people’s control, he said, so long as they aim at the right targets.
Two of those targets are knowing yourself and having good friends. The two are tied together – you can’t develop self-knowledge in a vacuum. Happiness, for Aristotle, can never be a solitary pursuit.
Knowing – and befriending – yourself
Humans have a highly developed capacity to think about their thinking. This is possible because of a split in human consciousness: There is consciousness, and there is consciousness of consciousness – what is known as reflection or metacognition. Metacognition allows us to step back and note our thoughts and feelings, analyzing them almost as if they belonged to someone else.
This split makes reason, self-knowledge and morality possible. We can deliberate about our thoughts, feelings and potential actions.
Self-knowledge isn’t the same as being intellectual or even intelligent. Instead, it’s about using self-awareness and reason to develop character.
In Aristotle’s view, character arises from developing habits that lead to intellectual and moral virtue, so that personal integrity is possible. This, in turn, builds self-trust and self-respect, as you learn to rely on yourself to do what is right – what Aristotle called “enkratēs,” or continence.
In other words, self-knowledge is developing a good relationship with yourself. In your own internal dialogue, you become another trusted friend to yourself, based on what you’ve seen in your friendships: virtues like generosity, courage, truthfulness and prudence. Self-knowledge and moral development are tied together and realized in community, as underscored by Aristotle scholarJoseph Owens.
Friendship based on character
Aristotle recognized three types of friendship. Some are based on utility, like a study-group friend. Others are based on pleasure, such as friends in an antique car club.
The third and highest form of friendship, which can last a lifetime, is based on virtue, or “arete.”
In these situations, Aristotle wrote, a friend becomes “another self.” These friendships are based on mutual goodwill and love for the other person’s character; they are not fundamentally transactional. Instead, they are anchored in care and concern for the other.
Such friendships are few, but foster self-knowledge. As philosopher Mavis Biss emphasizes, a good friend has a perspective on you that you yourself do not. You can step back and analyze your desires, thoughts and feelings, but you can never actually observe yourself.
That means self-knowledge always has a social dimension. True friends enhance each other’s insight and capacity for virtue. As you get to know your friend, you get to know yourself – and are challenged to become a better version of yourself.
“To perceive and to know a friend, therefore, is necessarily in a manner to perceive and in a manner to know oneself,” Aristotle wrote in the “Eudemian Ethics.” The friend is a mirror that helps refine our thinking, perception and moral understanding.
In the end, what makes eudaimonia – the good life – possible? For Aristotle, it’s using reason to become our best selves. Knowledge and self-knowledge are the most desirable of all things, Aristotle argued: “One always desires to live because one always desires to know, and because one wishes to be oneself the object known.”
The desire to know and be known is part of the quest for happiness. Knowledge of self, others and everything else is interconnected. For Aristotle, relationships are a portal into the realms of the vast and mysterious universe.
Are you up to speed on how much water you’re supposed to be drinking every day? One study tells us eight glasses a day, and the next few say 16. The University of St. Andrews in Scotland conducted its own study and found there’s a substitute that rehydrates the body more quickly and efficiently than water alone.
The study focused on different drinks and their effect on the body’s rehydration. The results showed that water was not the best choice, and you might be surprised at one of the best alternatives.
Young woman drinking a glass of milk. Photo credit: Canva
One of the best beverage choices for rehydrating the body is milk. It contains proteins, fats, and lactose. Lactose is the naturally occurring sugar that is found in milk. Combined with the sodium (salt) and potassium (electrolytes), these elements slow down the fluid from emptying out of the stomach. This helps keep a person’s body hydrated.
In this way, milk is a far better provider for hydration than water. Yes, water contains trace amounts of salts and electrolytes, but it does not contain lactose, proteins, or fats.
Other drinks the study found helpful include colas, sports drinks, orange juice, lager beer, tea, and coffee. It’s important to note, however, that high levels of sugar or alcohol actually dehydrate the body. Caffeine was an aid to hydration as long as the levels weren’t too high. If your coffee or tea has about 80 milligrams of caffeine, it’s in the best range for hydration.
It’s important for people to maintain a healthy level of hydration throughout their day. Dehydration can affect the body in ways ranging from minor issues to serious, even dangerous, side effects, such as constipation, dizziness, heart issues, dry skin, and increased hunger and thirst.
Constipation
One reason constipation can occur is that there aren’t enough fluids to keep the pipes moving. This causes the intestines to slow down or completely stop eliminating waste. Besides being painful, dehydration-induced constipation risks include: vomiting, fever, abdominal cramps, bloating, rectal bleeding, and even diverticulitis (trapped waste in small pouches of the intestines that become irritated and inflamed).
Dizziness
Severely dehydrated people can not only face dizziness, but also delirium. When dehydrated, people can become unfocused and confused about their surroundings. It’s even possible to suffer hallucinations and delusions, leading to unsafe behavior and a need for urgent medical attention.
Heart attacks
Your heart rate is linked to blood pressure and blood volume. Volume is indirectly affected by the regulation of fluid intake. As your blood pressure and volume drop, the heart has to work harder to maintain a healthy, working body. If this state is prolonged, the stress can damage the heart and, in severe cases, cause heart attacks.
Dry Skin
Wrinkles are a normal part of the aging process, but dehydrated skin can cause fine lines to appear. These lines can feel itchy and may even crack open, creating entry points for bacteria. How do you know dry skin is dehydrated skin, though? There’s a simple test you can do to find out: gently pinch your skin between your pointer finger and thumb. If the skin returns to its original position within a few seconds, you’re good. If it doesn’t, you’re probably dehydrated.
Hungry?
Dehydration can often reveal itself as hunger. Your brain signals to the body that fluids are needed, and you feel that as a need for a full meal or snack. If you’ve just had something to eat and still feel hungry, try drinking a glass of something (like milk!). It will fill up your stomach and help rehydrate your body.
This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.
Sometimes people reveal the climactic scene in a great book we’re reading before we even get there. It may be annoying, but most of the time, the ruined moment happens by accident.
A woman writing under the Reddit tag u/Embarrassed-Friend-8 shared she loves romance novels. Enough to consume four to five a month. Recently, her husband of 11 years started acting differently in the bedroom with what she describes as “themed” nights. She explains, “I’ll think ‘okay, that was fun and a little random’ and move on.” But then the real unexpected twist occurs. She continues, “A few days later I’ll be reading my book, hit a spicy scene and actually have to put my Kindle down bc it’s the same scene. Like, the same vibe, the same moves, occasionally almost the same setup.”
She thinks he might be reading ahead and playing a fun little prank. But then the story beneath the story begins to reveal itself.
“I read on my Kindle. He’d have to get into my account, figure out where I am in each book, read ahead, and then coordinate. He’s a big tech/numbers guy, so if he’s doing this I guarantee there’s a spreadsheet involved somewhere. I’m honestly not even mad. Genuinely if this is what’s happening it might be the most unhinged romantic gesture anyone has ever done for me. But he is technically spoiling the books??”
As this story started to gain traction, the comments section filled up fast with amused, confused, and thoroughly invested people. It’s hard to resist a great story that begins with, “11 years and he’s still out here finding new ways to be surprising. I genuinely don’t deserve him and also he is ruining my books.” These are some of the Redditors’ thoughts:
“Made the mistake of reading this post to my husband and I think I actually saw a light bulb turn on above his head — gonna start locking my Kindle…”
“Book mark your favorite scenes…give him a selection so there’s still an element of surprise.”
“You made me laugh so hard this morning!”
“Yes, but ruining them in the BEST possible way!”
“Absolute legend behavior, but you’re right, he needs to drop some DLC that isn’t in the source material for the real surprises.”
“This is adorable and also sweet and romantic!”
“I mean, the husband is looking at this as ‘ok, challenge accepted!’”
“Girl, start reading some spicier stuff!”
A woman looks through a spyglass. Photo credit Canva
The mystery is uncovered in a Reddit update
In an update to the original post, the woman shared that she was very appreciative of the comments and support from readers of her posting. “Turns out you all were right. He had access to my shared Kindle library and got this idea for a prank, but once he did it a few times he really got ‘invested.’” She continues, “He’s going to stop spoiling my books but we did come up with another arrangement, also thanks to the comments here. I’m going to give him a list of pre-approved spicy scenes and he’ll choose (in no specific order) which he wants to surprise me with.”
This husband was willing to go the extra mile to keep their relationship moving in a healthy direction. And yet, there was one more little update she had to add in, “YES there was a spreadsheet. Chili pepper emojis for spice levels. A column for notes (needs wine, links to Spotify playlists, etc). Color coding. Multiple tabs. More organization than even I was expecting. It will be ongoing and is now shared so I can drop in my own chili peppers and notes.”
A romantic couple as the sun sets. Photo credit Canva
Romance novels are not just for the ladies
Romance novels aren’t simply a niche. It’s one of the most widely read genres worldwide. It’s not just casual reading either. Romance readers are voraciously digesting an average of five novels per month. A 2021 study in Humanities & Social Sciences Communications found that most readers are in relationships and looking for little escape and relaxation. Writing that is exciting, easy, and fun to read matters more than the sexual content.
What might be surprising is that romantic literature appeals to male readers more than you might think. In a 2025 survey conducted with fans of romance books by Talker Research, 63% of the men considered themselves die-hard fans. Also, men spend 364 hours annually reading romance compared to women, who spend 312 hours.
A couple eats watermelon together. Photo credit Canva
A little bit of romance matters
Research shows that doing something new together can reignite connection. A 2024 study in Science Direct found that passion and intimacy are directly related to overall relationship satisfaction. And it’s not the big swings at romance that matter most. It’s the small, attentive actions that bring more intimacy.
A 2023 review in the National Library of Medicine found that in the psychology of a romantic relationship, responsiveness, emotional attunement, and mutual investment build a stronger, lasting connection.
Romance might seem like something we’re all supposed to instinctively know how to do. This husband is willing to invest time and creativity into his marriage, even if his first attempts didn’t land perfectly. What she thought was a small frustration slowly turned into a stronger connection. All of this good started by simply trying and reading a little ahead.
