Breasts, Pecs, and Nipples – Sex Ed for Writers
In this D-Script we quote sexual snippets from books and the internet for the purpose of education.
While you should be careful about proceeding if you are under 18, education about sex and the human body is important for everyone.
Poor sex education or the lack thereof does more than create terrible scenes in books and make the author look…questionable. It increases the chances of underage pregnancy, contracting or transmitting sexually transmitted diseases, increases the chances of sexual violence, and creates relationship issues. People without adequate sexual health knowledge may not know when to seek medical care that could save them from consequences, up to and including death.
As writers, we have an impact on how our readers see the real world. As such, we have a responsibility to research our subject matter and write from a knowledgeable place. Misinformation spreads misinformation, contributing to the problems listed above. it only takes a brief walk through any social media to see lack of sex education and misinformation turned against people to shame, humiliate, or belittle them.
In other D-Scripts, we’ll get into how to describe breasts, pecs, and nipples. This D-Script is for sex education and guidance on biology.
GET AROUND THIS D-SCRIPT
- Helpful Definitions Going Forward
- All about the Breasts
- What Goes Wrong In Novels
- Quick Facts About Breasts/Tips for Writers
- Breasts In Media
- Sexualization of Breasts
- Breast Development and Puberty
- Breastfeeding/Milk Production
- Healthcare for Breasts
- Cosmetic Alterations to the Breasts
- All About the Pectoral Muscles (Pecs) and Male Breasts
- This section has multiple, easily navigatable subsections
- Life In the Wrong Body
- This section has multiple, easily navigatable subsections
- All About Nipples
- This section has multiple, easily navigatable subsections
Related D-Scripts
This area will fill in the more subjects we’re able to get to.
Need to Describe Bras? Head here: What We Wear: On Our Torsos – Bras
Helpful Definitions Going Forward
Gender
“Gender refers to the characteristics of women, men, girls, and boys that are socially constructed. This includes norms, behaviours, and roles associated with being a woman, man, girl, or boy, as well as relationships with each other. As a social construct, gender varies from society to society and can change over time”
source: World Health Organization
On this site, we refer to biological women and biological men, while acknowledging the trans and non-binary communities. All comments are screened, and hate will not be given the light of day.
Sex
(biological)
“Sex refers to a set of biological attributes in humans and animals. It is primarily associated with physical and physiological features including chromosomes, gene expression, hormone levels and function, and reproductive/sexual anatomy. Sex is usually categorized as female or male but there is variation in the biological attributes that comprise sex and how those attributes are expressed.”
source: Canadian Institute of Health Research
Sex
(act)
“Sex act means any sexual contact, actual or simulated, either natural or deviate, between two or more persons, or between a person and an animal, by penetration of the penis into the vagina or anus, or by contact between the mouth or tongue and genitalia or anus, or by contact between a finger of one person and the genitalia of another person or by use of artificial sexual organs or substitutes therefor in contact with the genitalia or anus.”
source: Law Insider
Secondary Sex Characteristics
Primary sex characteristics are reproduction based. Secondary sex characteristics may help people identify biological sex at a glance. They include breasts and ability to produce milk, facial and body hair, voice pitch, fullness of hips, upper body musculature, ability to develop muscle, menstrual cycles, and fat to muscle ratio.
Secondary Sex characteristics are more common in one biological sex or the other, but are dependent on chromosomes, genes, and hormones.
Fetish
“A form of sexual desire in which gratification is linked to an abnormal degree to a particular object, item of clothing, part of the body, etc.”
source: https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/
All About the Breasts
Source: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Anatomy-of-the-female-breast_fig1_331954468Here, we are going to discuss breasts specifically with nipples being their own section as not everyone has breasts as discussed here but most people have nipples.
Breasts overlay the pectoral muscles. In biologically female bodies, there is glandular tissue as well so they can produce milk. We will discuss milk production below in the Breastfeeding /Milk Production section. Breasts are secondary sex characteristics more or less specific to biological women, with biological men able to grow breasts if hormonal conditions allow.
Breast size is dependent on several factors: genetic factors such as where a person is most likely to accumulate fat, environmental factors such as exposure to hormone-mimicking chemicals, medications, and hormonal output. The shape of the breasts is dependent on the arrangement of connective tissue and ligaments within the individual person.
What Goes Wrong in Novels
Breasts are perhaps the most problematic in writing because they are front and centre. It’s hard not to notice them, they are highly fetishized, and writers can go a little awry when including them. Below, you will see examples from books that show exactly what the problem is.
FEMALE CHARACTERS DESCRIBING THEIR BREASTS AS THOUGH THEY ARE MEN
How often do you think about the back of the ear? The curve of your neck? The length of your legs? It’s about the same for breasts. People who have breasts live with them all day, every day. They’re not new. They don’t change shape or appearance often (puberty, pregnancy, age, etc.). As such, there is little remarkable about them except in the occasional times.
This D-Script would get significantly larger if I included snippets of these scenes in books as they tend to run on. However, here are a few tips.
- If you want to describe a woman’s body, avoid doing it by having her standing in front of a mirror and reflecting in painstaking detail.
- Avoid info dumps. When describing anything, space it out. Give information where necessary. Work it in strategically. A run on paragraph describing any character from head to toe is painful to read.
- Try to think about how you think of your body and include only what’s necessary. If you were a man thinking about your physique, would you describe your shoulders, your hands, the length of your legs, the size of your penis and its characteristics? Likelihood is no. Don’t write female characters having long, in depth thoughts about the size, shape, and perkiness of their breasts, or how those breasts affect the world around them.
- If you are a man writing from a straight female perspective, remember that women tend not to think of their own bodies or other’s bodies the same way straight men might. We may notice an attractive figure, a woman with great breasts, or something else, but we’re unlikely to sit there and study them in detail, let alone sexualize those characteristics (unless, of course, we were sexually attracted to those features).
- Your male characters may be straight and may be watching a woman with attractive breasts come across the room, but it’s unlikely they’re creating deep, poetic descriptions of them. Keep it simple. Unless those boobs are plot relevant, there’s no need to spend much time describing them.
- DO NOT compare women’s breasts to childrens’. Ever.
- DO NOT describe the breasts of children. Ever. This point and the one above are fabulous ways of making readers throw out your book, roast your character online, and question your personal morality, even if you write it from the point of view of a despicable character. If you can’t make your villain gross without pedophilia or rape, you are writing a weak character.
NEEDLESS DESCRIPTION OF THE BREASTS
Some writers have this weird need to describe breasts for absolutely no reason at all. This is extremely off-putting to readers unless there is context as to why they’re being described.
“Miss Desjardin, their slim nonbreasted gym teacher…”
There is zero reason to describe breasts in this circumstance. In this case, the author should have asked themselves “why am I including this?” Unless the teacher’s job is to use her breasts to educate (and all the ick that comes with that), it’s best to leave it out.
This author comes across as trying to use small breasts size to physically shame the character. Keep in mind, your breast preference is just that, your preference. By trying to force your preference through your writing, you alienate your readers. Especially the breasted ones.
“Angela ran for dear life; pistol in hand, one shoe untied, and breasts bouncing like two pit bulls who were trying desperately (sic) escape from the confines of her shirt.”
As the owner of a pair of breasts of notable size, if my life was in danger I would be completely oblivious to what my breasts were doing.
On top of that, I can only imagine the author sitting there going “I’m going to make the terror of a woman running for her life sexually appealing to my readers”, to which I say “Dude, you have issues!”
Finally, “two pit bulls who were trying desperately(sic) escape”…ho, boy. This one belongs in the next section as well.
“She was small breasted, intelligent, and capable “
To start, this screams of someone trying their damnedest to appear like they aren’t sexualizing a woman while simultaneously putting in a weird, random observation about breasts at the beginning of the sentence.
This might have been better done by saying why she is thought of as smart capable (showing not telling), and then mentioning physical attractiveness, not necessarily in the same paragraph. For example, “She had single-handedly gotten the mob boss convicted and given the maximum sentence, and that was as attractive as the rest of her…”
As with the first example, the author should have asked themselves why this was relevant information for the reader.
“He gave the tiny-breasted girl the barest shake of his head“
There are a lot of issues with this small segment.
Firstly, do not use ‘girl’ unless talking about a child. Infantilizing women is problematic. Don’t know what infantilizing is? Don’t know why it’s problematic? Here is a great talk about it from study.com, which will give you a brief overview before asking you to register. You can also read this paper, Language as a social reality: the effects of infantilization of women. There is also this point form list of how infantilization of women impacts society. Then there is the general wrongness of attributing sexual characteristics to minors and valuing them as sexual/attractive. Unfortunately, a lot of this is done aiming at children just hitting puberty (8-13).
Finally, there is no situation in which talking about the woman’s (I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt even though they say ‘girl’, implying a minor’s age) breasts should be described here. What do her breasts have to do with anything here?
“Aomame mourned the deaths of these two friends deeply. It saddened her to think that these women were forever gone from the world. And she mourned their lovely breasts – breasts that had vanished without a trace.“
We’re going to end on a completely WTF quote. Just for the fun of it.
USING BREASTS TO RELAY EMOTION
You might be surprised how many times this seems to happen. Breasts, and even nipples, are not affected by someone’s emotions. The best you might get is flushing with embarrassment or excitement. There is minor engorgement with arousal, but that would be less of a visual thing and more of a tactile thing as they’ll become firmer, but not so much they would become perkier.
Using breasts to express emotion will make people wonder about you in a bad way.
“She had breasts that smile”
No one knows what this author is trying to say. Not even remotely. That’s a huge writing sin! Also, this suggests boobs with faces.
“Noelle rolls her eyes. I think her breasts roll in synch with them.”
Breasts are fatty tissue on top of pectoral muscles, so while the muscle may move and thus move the breast, it would do so nominally at best. When you see something like burlesque dancers spinning nipple tassels, that’s a combination of shoulder and abdominal movement.
“She was about to cover her startled breasts.“
I assume the author is trying to relay that the woman is startled. Since breasts don’t relay emotion, it’s best to use other indicators of surprise like “she snapped her arms up to cover her naked breasts”
“Her large breasts rippled in appreciation”
My guess here is that the writer is trying to portray pleasure experienced at the breast. First, I’m going to have you imagine what breasts rippling would look like. I can just see these old cartoons that have a starving character with a stomach rumbling…only boobs.
Breasts are skin and fatty tissues with muscle underneath. Have you seen skin actively ripple? Fat? Muscle (especially muscle hidden beneath fat)? No? The idea makes me think of bugs under the skin, honestly.
Pleasure at the breast could be better described by sound (moaning, gasps, etc.), speech (saying how good it feels), tightening of the nipples, or other bodily reactions (like arching the back up toward to source of pleasure). In a first-person perspective, it can be more like a pleasurable tingle moves through the breast or seems to move through the body, even the throat. Most of that, though not all, comes from interaction with the nipple. However, nipple-havers everywhere regardless of gender, have different levels of sensitivity, ranging from no sensation to too much, or even painful sensation.
“When she’d stopped crying, Madeline composed herself before the mirror. Her skin looked blotchy. Her breasts, of which she was normally proud, had withdrawn into themselves, as if depressed.“
Breasts are not the equivalent of testicles, which I must assume the author was comparing them to. Testicles can retract or droop due to a number of factors (though sadness is not one, fear would be, arousal, or cold). Breasts cannot withdraw or expand like this, however. Bra fitting is already a nightmare, imagine we had to contend with shrinking and engorging breasts depending on how we were feeling!
Blotchy appearance after crying? Absolutely. But I have a couple questions:
- Why is this woman considering her breasts? Women live with their breasts day in and day out. Nothing is particularly extraordinary about them that would lead to introspection about the boobs. Breastrospection? Perhaps if they were putting their bra on and noticed it didn’t fit right. A causal observance of how a shirt fits. Getting dressed for a date where the woman wants to draw attention to or away from them. That’s about it.
- Why are her breasts experiencing emotion? Do they have a brain of their own and experience emotion differently than the rest of the woman?
“Her breasts pulsed with resentment”
This might also fit into the “only describe breasts when necessary” section. I can’t imagine the purpose of this line. There are certain circumstances where a woman might feel a pulse in her breast, but that is probably due to trauma to the tissue. The breast cannot pulse physically due to it being fatty issue overlaying muscle.
Thinking forgivingly, this author may have used ‘breast’ as another way to say ‘chest’. Only they used breasts. Plural. So, I doubt it.
“…whilst their gentle breasts were sad for their menfolk away in the midst of remorseless wars.“
Once more, thinking forgivingly, I’m thinking this may have been the author trying to be poetic about referencing a group of women’s chests, or hearts. Remember that when you’re writing, it’s best to use terminology that doesn’t allow for misinterpretation.
As a special note, this is a good quote to call out overly florid language. Whilst, gentle breasts, menfolk, midst, remorseless wars. Each of these independently may not be overly florid, but with so many in a row this whole sentence comes off melodramatic.
MISUNDERSTANDING BIOLOGY
For something that doesn’t do a lot, breasts are wildly misrepresented in writing.
“…her breasts nowhere near as big as they would be in the fall,“
Breast size is not impacted by the season. What can affect breast size is genetics, maturity, time of the month (they may be swollen closer to menstruation), pregnancy, breastfeeding, with a not particularly noticeable increase in size when stimulated sexually. I would recommend against writing that breast size increases during sex. No one will notice the slight plumping. They may notice an increased firmness, however.
The only other explanation for this particular statement is that this is a girl hitting puberty. This means the author is currently describing the breasts of a girl between 8-16…and, repeat after me, “we do not write about the breast size of children”.
“Her curved breasts were tense with concentration“
Just like emotion, breasts are not affected by intense concentration. Again, I will call to the fact that breasts are fatty tissue, and while the muscle beneath that may be tensed by stress or anxiety, the fatty tissue cannot contract.
Extra point, there is no need to describe breasts as curved as breasts are curved.
“The left breast was fractionally larger than its sister. It was Anna’s favourite. She flexed it toward the wall. “
Yes, someone’s breasts can be different sizes. Yes, it’s possible someone has a favourite breast. No, they cannot be flexed. Once again, breasts are fatty issue on top of muscle. The muscle can be flexed but the fatty issue cannot.
“Before I could even think straight, the heavy bouncing of my breasts finished the job of waking me up.”
Even the largest breasted person isn’t going to be woken by the bouncing of their breasts before the bouncing of their body. Breast bouncing can be uncomfortable, but whatever force is causing them to move is acting on the body attached to them first. The only way this might make sense is if someone got away with grabbing the woman’s breasts and had begun rhythmically bouncing them while she was asleep. Even then, however, they’d likely be responding to the fact they’re being touched while asleep rather than aggressive breast bouncing.
“Belerra shook her head, her breasts swaying as she did”
Breasts can sway when the torso is moved but unless this woman is shaking her head AND shoulders VIGOROUSLY, her breasts are staying in place. As someone with a larger chest myself, I’m trying to imagine shaking my head alone with enough force to move my breasts…I’d probably snap my neck.
“Almost as if her heart had taken over her entire body, its pounding emanated outwards, causing her breasts to twitch with its surging pulsations”
This could have gone in the emotions section, but it speaks a bit more to a lack of understanding about biology. The ribs and sternum (bone) lie between the heart and the breasts, with no connective musculature. Even if there was, that muscle would attach to the pectoral muscles, and the breast is the flesh on top of that with no anatomy that allows for independent movement like this.
I could only imagine the force this person’s heart would need to be beating for them to even feel it in their breasts. They should probably call an ambulance because they won’t be conscious (or even alive) for long. Either that, or they have trauma to the breast tissue.
Pulsing in the breast is almost always primarily due to trauma to the tissue.
“Georgie stood out there longer than was comfortable, until her breasts ached from the chill and her hair felt as though it was shrinking”
There are certain times a person with breasts might feel cold on their breasts to a point they ached. 1. They are pregnant and the nipples are very, painfully, excruciatingly, sensitive to being cold. 2. They are topless with no bra on. 3. They are in menopause and are experiencing nipple tenderness. 4. They have significant hormonal fluctuations around their period. Otherwise, if you want to describe someone being cold, hands, face, feet, and thighs are your better options to describe.
Also…hair shrinking?
“…and the flatness of her breasts had already suggested that she was unmarried.“
Marriage, sexual activity, number of sexual partners…none of these things impact breast size. Breast size is determined by genetics and hormones. While sex CAN and does impact hormones, those hormones are endorphins and oxytocin. Hormones that impact breast size would need to be constantly secreted over a period of time and are estrogen and progesterone.
“Her happiness flowed in the milk of her breasts and her baby grew quickly”
I believe it’s pretty evident that emotions don’t impact breast milk quality. I’m going to assume this person is trying to reference breast milk supply as the baby is growing quickly, thus would need to be getting lots of nutrients (pointing out the sin of leaving your readers guessing what the heck you’re talking about).
Stress, anxiety, and lack of sleep can impact the amount of breast milk produced due to increased cortisol. However, it would take significant, chronic stress and anxiety to affect the growth of the child.
To be fair, I sincerely believe this author is mostly guilty of using overly flowery language to try to get across what they want.
GETTING…OVER ENTHUSIASTIC…ABOUT DESCRIBING BREASTS
- Her breasts were like pillows of dough
- …noted how the tight fabric of their sports bras contained their breast flesh…
- I mean there’s all kinds of breasts when you think of it, noisy breasts and quiet breasts and angry breasts and superficial breasts and arrogant breasts and shy breasts and probably lots of other kinds too;…
- …the cleavage vibrating in a gelatinous way as she poured whiskey…
- …her breasts wagging like little startled faces
- They hugged, and Mama’s breasts wobbled against Sally like packets of mozzarella the size of footballs.
- She wears a vest she couldn’t button if she wanted to, because her enormous boobs shove out her blouse like intercontinental ballistic missiles preparing for launch.
- …full breasts with the veins running through them like good cheese.
NOTABLE MENTIONS: YOU DECIDE WHICH CATEGORY THEY BELONG IN
- Jessie laughed and the motion rippled her breasts under the light purple top she wore.
- Her face was flushed, and her rich breasts rose and fell.
- A mistake was made somehow in manufacturing, putting those big, womanly breasts on what would of otherwise been a perfect work, and you can see how bitter she is about it.
- …by those childish breasts so bravely sprouting into a barbaric world.
- Deety was staring at the corpse and did not look happy-her nipples were down flat….Deety backed off and her nipples showed faintly-not rigid but she was feeling better. My darling keeps her feelings out of her face, mostly-but those pretty pink spigots are barometers of her morale.
- …and grabbed her breasts through her shirt to check the shape. No Change. Same size and shape. I’m still the same me.
- Her breasts looked round as radar globes, and she was tuning them on Homer.
Quick Facts About Breasts / Tips for Writers
Natural breasts are not so much round as more drop shaped. Think of a water droplet sliding down the side of a glass. Sometimes, the nipple brings them to a more pointed shape.
Women who have been pregnant are more likely to have breasts that sit lower or sag. Sagging has little to nothing to do with breastfeeding.
When a person with breasts lies on their back, the breasts separate, moving toward the arms. The amount they do this depends on breast firmness and size.
A bouncing breast, especially as size increases, is often found to be extremely uncomfortable. Proper bra support is integral to stop this.
Breasts with implants are generally a different shape than natural breasts, being rounder in appearance, and possibly sitting higher, though not always.
The nipple may be the pleasure centre of the breast (to varying degrees depending on the person), but the breast itself is also sensitive.
While every biological woman’s experience is different, breast sensitivity can increase near menstruation (or when that would be for those without uteruses due to biology or surgery). This can make normally pleasurable sensations painful.
Healthy breasts may engorge for a few reasons, but few people would notice aside from their owner. These reasons are: water retention (may be due to the menstrual cycle), pregnancy, major hormone fluctuations, or filling with milk in preparation to breastfeed, and arousal.
One breast can be a different size, shape, or position than the other. In fact, this asymmetry is found in about half of all biological women.
Statistically, the left breast is more likely to be larger.
The size of the breast is not reflective of the ability of the person to produce milk, or how much of it is produced.
Breast development is NOT impacted by sexual activity or virginity.
Breast size can increase ever so slightly when the breast is stimulated. They also become more venous in appearance. The size shift, however, will be unnoticeable. Don’t include breast size changes like this in your writing. It is more of a firmness thing.
You cannot gauge cup size by looking at the breast. It’s complex… (see section on bras)
Exercise cannot change the shape, size, or perkiness of the breast, unless it drops the person’s body fat percentage. However, muscle can become visible around the edges of the breast.
Breasts in Media
It goes without saying that breast representation in media is problematic. There can’t be too little because that’s not feminine and not as sexual. There can’t be too much because then it’s distracting, and the character is always focused on as ‘slutty’ or otherwise hypersexual.
One example of this is the infamous picture of Keira Knightly in the King Aurthur movie poster. The actress herself has spoken out about the manipulation of her image to give her larger breasts.
But it’s not only photoshop that’s used to do with. Actresses who have smaller breasts are often ‘enhanced’ through make up to darken the shadows around the breasts and strengthen the highlights, wear inserts we often like to refer to as ‘chicken cutlets’, wear push up bras, etc.
Actresses with larger breasts are generally typecast as ‘slutty’ characters, attention seekers, and the sort. The actress themselves is also generally not taken as seriously.
In other media, such as novels, it’s often the same. Chaste characters have small chests and are often insecure about them, sexually active or promiscuous characters are well-endowed and always wearing low cut shirts and making sure everyone notices now big their chest is. There are outliers to this, obviously, but these stereotypes are much more prominent in media.
In reality, there are many smaller chested women who are perfectly fine with their size and many that are sexually active, even promiscuous. Larger chested women can be very conscious of their breast size, and they may have little interest in sex. Long story short, DO NOT play into stereotypes based on breasts, and remember that societal popularity of a certain look is no reflection of reality, nor does it speak to the diversity of preference of breast lovers.
Sexualization of Breasts
Cultures around the world view the breasts in diverse ways. There are cultures where breasts are not at all sexualized and viewed no different than a man’s chest, aside from their ability to provide nutrients for babies. Other cultures allow women to be topless in public or media without it being considered a big deal. Then there are cultures that not only view breasts as highly sexual in nature but have strict rules around if any of the breasts should be seen. And of course, everywhere in between.
The psychology behind breast attraction indicates that breasts do play an important role in human sexual behaviour. Humans even have a notably larger breast to body ratio than other mammals. It’s believed that the breasts developed this way in response to humans walking upright, with the breasts simulating the buttocks.
That said, much of the fascination with breasts comes from how sexualized they are in society. Like most things, if society is constantly talking about how sexually attractive breasts are, that encourages the thought patterns that help make it a common belief.
Breast Development and Puberty
Breast development is the result of increased sex hormones, predominantly estrogen. However, breast development does not necessarily stop with puberty. Breasts can change size throughout a person’s life.
Breast development can start before puberty, starting between 7-13. The average age of breast development starts between 10-11.
TIP FOR WRITERS: Just because a child begins breast development early does not mean that a writer should mention the breasts of a child. It is advisable to avoid talking about the primary sex or secondary sex characteristics of a minor. Ethics and morality aside, even if you are doing this to make a character seem horrible, readers will wonder why the author saw the need to do this.
Breastfeeding / Milk Production
Biological females have breasts that have lobes that produce milk when certain hormone levels are reached. The milk is then secreted through many points in the nipple
SAGGING
The idea that breasts sag after breastfeeding is a myth. Sagging is related to pregnancy-related weight changes and engorgement of the milk ducts. Even if the woman doesn’t breastfeed, some sagging may occur. Sagging can be impacted by genetics, loss of elasticity in the skin due to age or health-related concerns that impact elastic (like smoking).
BREAST MILK PRODUCTION
When breastfeeding, a woman will experience a “let down” of the milk. It is a notable sensation of the milk moving into position to feed the baby. It can be like a tingle or a literal dropping sensation. This can be triggered by the baby starting to feed, or the woman thinking about breastfeeding, or even arousal. When a let down happens, it can be easily manageable or may be so significant that the baby needs to be removed from the breast so they don’t choke from the amount or force of the let down. Breast milk can eject from the nipple with significant force and go an impressive distance!
I could get into all the details of this, but there is an article that covers this very well.This article from Babycenter.com covers everything from colostrum to what breastmilk is made of.
MILK SUPPLY
Anxiety and stress can cause a depletion of milk supply. Other factors include: waiting too long after birth to breastfeed, supplementing significantly with formula, medication, latching problems, stopping breastfeeding frequency or entirely. Here is a great article about what can cause a lack of milk production, from Today’s Parent. Breast milk supply can be increased through regular feeding or through breast pumping with a machine, which can either be manual or electric.
LEAKAGE
Women who are breastfeeding often leak breastmilk from time to time…or often. There is a market for products meant to help absorb this leakage which often look like padded disks that are held in the bra and placed over the nipple.
COMPLICATIONS
Breastfeeding doesn’t always go smoothly. Here are some common complications:
Baby Biting
Babies tend to bite, especially when they are teething (new teeth are breaking through the gums). This can be especially painful for the mother because she will likely have extremely sensitive nipples and may be suffering from chapping.
Chapping
If you lick your lips a lot, they will chap. The same thing goes for nipples. Feeding a baby regularly can cause chapping just like chapped lips, potentially up to bleeding.
Duct Blockage / Mastitis
Milk ducts can become blocked, leading to overfilled, tender, swollen breasts, and eventually infection. This is called mastitis. If the blockage is not cleared, like any infection, this can cause fevers, chills, pain, and sepsis.
Lack of Production
Many things can get in the way of a milk supply starting, continuing, or being sufficient. Here is an article on Breastfeeding and Delayed Milk Production.
FETISH ALERT
Probably not a surprise, there is a whole segment of people who have breastfeeding fetishes. This means they gain sexual pleasure from breastfeeding.
Healthcare for Breasts
BREAST CANCER
There are many variants of breast cancer. Though almost exclusively found in biological females, breast cancer can develop in biological males. This is generally due to the tumor’s dependence on the hormone estrogen that is found in higher quantities in biological women. Only 0.5-1% of men will develop this type of cancer. In the USA and Canada, 1 out of every 8 biological women will develop breast cancer.
To find information about the staging of breast cancer (Stage 0-4), head to cancer.ca‘s article linked here.
Therapy options for treating breast cancer can also be found linked here.
If you are writing a character who is living with cancer or those dealing with a loved one fighting cancer, consider heading to cancer.ca and clicking on the Living with cancer menu and selecting from there.
SYMPTOMS OF BREAST CANCER
- Lumps
- Abnormal breast discharge
- Dimpling, redness, pitting of the skin of the breast (and breast skin changes should be addressed by a doctor)
- Breast thickening
- Change is size or shape of the breast
- Change in appearance of the nipple, including areola (pigmented area surrounding the nipple)
SURVIVAL AND MORTALITY RATES OF BREAST CANCER
Caught early enough, this type of cancer is extremely treatable, resulting in high survival rates. In 2020, 2.3 million biological women worldwide were diagnosed with breast cancer with 685,000 deaths (not specific to 2020). Survival rates vary significantly around the world with first world nations having more than a 90% survival rate but other areas having as low as 40%.
Survivability is increasing on average 2-4% per year.
source: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/breast-cancer
FACTS ABOUT BREAST CANCER
Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in biological women (2018) worldwide, in exception of a few countries.
In 2021, breast cancer became the most frequently diagnosed cancer in the world.
1 in 8 biological women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.
Up to 40% of biological women with breast cancer had no risk factors associated with it.
Breast cancer initially starts in the lining cells of the ducts or lobules in the glandular tissue.
prolonged breastfeeding, weight control, physical activity, avoidance of substance abuse and prolonged use or hormones and radiation can improve chances of not developing breast cancer by 30% (at most)
Some breast cancers are resistant to hormone therapy.
AT HOME SCREENING FOR BREAST CANCER
Regular at home screening for breast cancer is a vital part of breast health for people with breasts. It’s all about the process of looking for visual abnormalities and feeling for lumps or unusual soreness.
Breastcancer.org has an article all about how to do one, what to look out for, and what to do if you find a lump. To look into it, click the link above
MAMMOGRAMS
People with breasts who are older than 45 are recommended to have a mammogram every two years (as at 2022). This involves getting an x-ray of the breast which looks for early signs of cancer. To do this, the breast is compressed between two plates horizontally, then again vertically. Most feel discomfort, though some may not, and some may find the procedure painful. It’s usually advised to avoid scheduling a mammogram around the time the patient would be menstruating, as this time of the month can make breasts more sensitive.
Mammograms can also pic up cysts and calcium deposits, or any condition that creates a denser environment in the breast.
MASTECTOMY
A mastectomy is the removal of the breast and may include other tissue such as lymph nodes. While mastectomies may be done for other reasons, such as gender affirming, they are widely done to treat breast cancer or for prevention thereof for people at high risk of developing breast cancer.
While many mastectomies also remove the nipple, early-stage cancer diagnosis may allow for a nipple-sparing mastectomy.
For this treatment, one or both breasts may be removed, depending on the need.
Breast reconstruction may be offered to restore the appearance of the breast, but insurance may not cover this part of the treatment.
OTHER COMMON BREAST CONDITIONS
Breast cancer is not the only ailment that can affect people with breasts. There can also be:
- Cysts – sacs or capsules of fluid buildup that can be semi solid more common in people 35-50 and those on hormone replacement therapy.
- Fibroadenomas – lumps of glandular or fibrous tissue more common in those 20-40.
Cosmetic Alterations to the Breasts
Although you may immediately think of breast implants, breast augmentations can also include breast reductions or removal. They are not always performed for cosmetic reasons but to treat pain or reduce the risk of cancer.
source: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/breast-augmentation/about/pac-20393178
STATISTICS
- Nearly half of all breast augmentations are done between the ages of 19 and 34
- 60% of breast augmentations in the US are done for cosmetic purposes.
- Breast augmentation is the most preformed plastic surgery.
- In the US, roughly 300,000 breast augmentations are performed per year
Breast implants do have a lifespan and warranty of about 10 years. This does not necessarily mean they need to be replaced after 10 years, however, they should be monitored closely via MRI.
People with breast implants need to continue to see a doctor about breast health and get mammography.
Breast implants require special attention and care for a period after implantation.
Implants may be saline or silicone. There can also be a fat transplantation.
Breast augmentation is a surgery that leaves scarring. Incisions may be made around the nipple, in the armpit, or the crease under the breast. The scar will fade but not disappear.
It may be helpful to get an MRI every 5-6 years if an implant is silicone to check on its integrity.
Breast implants may require additional surgeries to adjust them as changes to the body happen or scar tissue develops.
While not a guarantee, women can continue to breastfeed after implants.
Breast augmentation can also be done to reduce the size of breasts. This may be done to reduce pain or either physical or mental discomfort.
Breast augmentation may be done to even out the size of breasts (women can have different sized breasts)
Breast implants can leak or rupture.
Scar tissue may build up around implants, distorting them.
Risks include loss of sensation in the nipple, infection, rupture, and breast pain.
Breast implants will not prevent sagging, but a breast lift may help.
Mammography for people with breast implants may be more complicated.
Soreness, bruising, and swelling can last for weeks after the procedure.
During healing it may help to wear compression bandages or a sports bra. A woman should not wear an underwire bra for 6 weeks.
After breast augmentation, it is important to try to keep a steady weight as this can affect the condition of the implant and breasts
Women may require the implantation of a drain for 1-2 weeks after surgery to collect fluid buildup.
Sutures are placed in the breast that are inside to help create a fold or crease. These may cause a pulling or pinching sensation.
There will be lifting and exercise restrictions for 4-6 weeks after surgery.
Breast augmentation surgery, including reduction, may require taking time off work. Usually 1-3 weeks.
Men can get breast reductions to treat conditions such as gynecomastia.
Breast reduction can help people with breasts with chronic rashes under the breast, nerve pain, neck, back, and shoulder pain, and inability to participate in activities.
All About the Pectoral Muscles (Pecs) and Male Breasts
source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK545241/figure/article-32427.image.f1/
source: https://www.dana-farber.org/program-for-breast-cancer-in-men/
Everyone has a set of pectoral muscles, how much of them is covered in other tissue is up to genetics. Arguably, a set of developed pecs is the sexual equivalent to someone’s preference in breasts…though the development of pecs is not related as much to genetics but to diet and exercise.
It is extremely important to recognize that pop culture representation of musculature is problematic. Some biological men can develop more muscle naturally, whereas the average person would require a high protein diet and constant dedication to working the muscles. A lot of the definition seen in movies, magazines, and other media is the result of the person preparing for a role or photoshoot for an extended period of time, then dehydrating themselves beforehand to thin the skin. After this, there is the lighting, make up, and postproduction editing. To put it plainly, they then get photoshopped. Musculature in media can also be prosthetics, where a literal body suit that looks like flesh is applied to the actor to give them the appearance of muscle they don’t have. In superhero movies and similar, often the muscles are worked into a rigid costume that appears skintight.
Because he is often associated with hypermasculinity, I’m going to use Jason Momoa as an example of this contrast between prep for a role and a more natural body.
Jason Momoa living his best life without (or with significantly less) extreme diet and exercise. Jason Momoa prepping for a role with extensive, restrictive diet, exercise, and likely dehydration to enhance definition (also strategic lighting).Why do I mention this? Because, as developers of media, it is important to keep in mind realistic expectations for people of all genders. If you want that male lead with all the rippling abs and bulging pectorals, make sure with give them a diet conducive to that, as well as a daily routine that includes working those muscles. They don’t just magically happen.
For any of you who are Chris Hemsworth or Marvel fans, you’ll know how absolutely MOUNTAINOUS Chris Hemsworth got for that. Everywhere. The man is a freaking beast in that movie. So, what did it take for him to get there? Let’s take a look at this video from a fitness enthusiast who followed Chris Hemsworth’s work out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3JlUfwBJrA&ab_channel=AseelSoueid
Other articles note that Chris Hemsworth was eating 6-8 times a day to get to some 4,500 calories in.
In one article, Chris says “The target weight we aimed for was quite a ways above where I’d been before. This was probably the biggest and fittest I’ve ever been. We had 12 months where I was at home just training and puppeteering the body and manipulating,…We’d try more swimming then try more martial arts and adjust calories. It was a really fun exploration. I got really big and fit but then just had to hold it for four months, which was very hard.””
What Goes Wrong in Novels
I was unable to come up with odd beliefs about the pecs/male breasts when it comes to writing. However, I’m sure that will change as time goes on. I’m SURE they exist.
One thing that is an honourable mention, but I get into repeatedly, is how men are very much portrayed as always having rippling pectorals, a big strong chest, massive mannmories (ok, this last one is something I made up), while doing nothing to achieve them. As mentioned above, having and maintaining large muscles takes a lot of effort and a strict diet regime.
Quick Tips for Writers
Just like with breasts, unless there is a reason to discuss men’s chests don’t get into needless description.
Do not use the pecs to describe emotions.
Men’s Breast Health
Gynecomastia is a condition that causes biological men’s breasts to be larger and more feminine in appearance. This can be corrected through breast augmentation.
Though rare, man can develop breast cancer
Signs and Symptoms of Breast Cancer in Men *
- A lump or swelling, which is often (but not always) painless.
- Skin dimpling or puckering.
- Nipple retraction (turning inward)
- Redness or scaling of the nipple or breast skin.
- Discharge from the nipple.
* source: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer-in-men/detection-diagnosis-staging/signs-symptoms.html
Cosmetic Alterations for Male Breasts
A common surgery for male breasts is for a condition called gynecomastia (mentioned above). Biological men’s breasts don’t just come in square shapes. They can vary in size and shape, including taking on what is considered a more feminine appearance. Below is a graphic that shows that gynecomastia looks like.
source: https://www.ckbhospital.com/blogs/everything-about-gynecomastia-surgery-scars/
Life in the Wrong Body
Disclaimer: I am writing this as a cis woman unable to imagine the complexities of having been born in a body I cannot identify with. While I have many friends in the community and many friends who have undergone transitions, I cannot speak concretely about the experiences of a trans person. As such, please enjoy these videos. I hope they are informative for you.
For people who live in a body they do not identify with, having or not having breasts can cause gender dysphoria.
“Gender dysphoria is “Gender dysphoria is a term that describes a sense of unease that a person may have because of a mismatch between their biological sex and their gender identity. This sense of unease or dissatisfaction may be so intense it can lead to depression and anxiety and have a harmful impact on daily life.”…
“Many people with gender dysphoria have a strong, lasting desire to live a life that “matches” or expresses their gender identity. They do this by changing the way they look and behave.
Some people with gender dysphoria, but not all, may want to use hormones and sometimes surgery to express their gender identity.
Gender dysphoria is not a mental illness, but some people may develop mental health problems because of gender dysphoria.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9YICZZeJNs&ab_channel=TEDxTalks
Options are available to help someone feel more at home in their body. These options include breast augmentation, which can be expensive and not covered by insurance, and hormone replacement therapy for growing breasts. Pharmaceutical hormone therapy can also be expensive.
Gender affirming surgeries and hormone replacement therapy help trans people immensely with their confidence and feeling of belonging, where temporary solutions may unfortunately only provide temporary results. They are still often better than nothing.
Trans Men
For a man in a biologically female body, chest binders are an option but do come with risk. Here is an article about chest binders: Chest Binding: A Physician’s Guide.
To understand how these men feel, here is a very good video to watch to help you understand the experience and safety.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPvFR0csoIc&t=93s&ab_channel=wildseedwellness
Trans Women
For women in a biologically male body, breast augmentation is an option but potentially prohibitively expensive. Gender Affirming surgeries may be covered in some countries, however.
Other options include bras with silicone breast forms inside, and hormone replacement therapy which increases estrogen and progesterone, allowing for the natural development of breasts.
I found Transgender Breast Prosthetics written by a trans woman, Andrea James, which goes through their knowledge and experiences with feminization.
Chest hair is also something that may contribute to gender dysphoria for these women.
Many options for fashion are not options, as they may show chest hair growth, a binder, or allude to a biologically male chest which can cause social issues that may further damage mental health.
If you know of a great personal experience story (video) I can link here regarding this issue for trans women, please let me know here or on Twitter @ShonnaTheWhite
Non-Binary People
Non-binary people are people who do not identify with biological gender. They feel neither male nor female. Their experiences with having breasts or a male chest will vary wildly depending on their experiences. They too experience body dysphoria. Having or not having breasts may not present an issue to them or may do so at times. On the other hand, they may prefer a more androgenous look that would allow them to present how they want at any given time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-kzYxkgbBw&ab_channel=A.Wylde
Other Resources
- ‘It’s Binding or Suicide’: Transgender and Non-Binary Readers Share Their Experiences With Chest Binders
- Top Surgery for Trans Women and Non Binary People
- Are Transgender Women at Risk of Breast Cancer?
Nipples
We’ve shown breast and nipple anatomy a couple times now, so we won’t bother getting into that here. Nipples, in regard to, breastfeeding has also been covered earlier. Instead, let’s get into:
What Goes Wrong in Novels
“She stopped, pursing her nipples toward him…”
Considering almost every person on the planet has nipples, I’m stumped on how this person believes someone has conscious control over the state of their nipples.
So, no, no one can purse their nipples on command. I’m just imaging this woman turning around and aggressively rubbing her nipples to make them erect. Considering this snippet implies anger…
“Her friendly nipples jiggled”
Put aside that this author is talking about a ‘teenybopper’, braless in a white t-shirt, and so is already creepy.
Nipples do not have the mass to jiggle, and I just want you to imagine that for a second. Also, friendly nipples… There is nothing redeemable about this description.
“…her nipples as pink and small and hard as a child’s…”
DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT sexualize children in your writing or compare grown women sexually with children. This statement in the book makes me think that the FBI needs to take a good hard look into this author’s computer.
“…her nipples had crawled in on themselves…”
I’d like to give this author the benefit of the doubt that they were trying to talk about erect nipples in an unflattering way, exemplifying the fact the viewer didn’t find the character attractive…but I’m really not sure it was meant that way. The rest of the segment was rather matter-of-factly written.
“The breasts already heavy as globed fruit but also still those of an adolescent, the nipples not yet raised, the areolae strange, smooth dark-brown circles.”
*cough* I wish there weren’t so many authors describing the nipples of children *cough*
Nipples not yet raised. I’m not sure what the author is trying to say here (writing sin). Are they speaking of pointing directionally upward? That’s not a maturation thing. It’s a genetics thing. Are they talking about sticking out? Also, not a maturation thing. Nipples are not flat, though relaxed they can almost be so sometimes…in a still rounded sort of way.
I feel I need to add the following to be thorough: Areolae can be smooth, especially in people who have not been pregnant. As this character being described is fifteen, it’s very possible. The bumps on the areola are called Montgomery glands and are a combination of milk glands and sebaceous glands that secrete small amounts of oil to keep the nipples and areola protected from chafing.
Notable Mentions
- …and the burgeoning breasts with nipples that overwhelmed them like the noses on the faces of baby seals.
- No boldness in the ten-year-old-body, only the mild cruciality of youth, nipples flat and trivial as vaccination marks.
Nipple Facts
There are different types of nipples including flat, protruding, and inverted.
The areola is not your nipple. The nipple is the very centre portion.
Nipples can become chafed by excessive rubbing, such as a shirt rubbing during a marathon
Bifurcated nipples are a thing. That is, having more than one nipple per areola.
After breast reconstruction where the nipple has been removed, nipples can be tattooed on.
1 in every 20,000-30,0000 people are missing one or both nipples, a condition called athelia
Nipples and areola change size during pregnancy, becoming large.
Inverted nipples are perfectly normal
0.2% to 2.5% of people are born with extra nipples that lack glandular tissue. This is called polythelia, and they can appear anywhere on the body.
Nipples can change colour depending on temperature, age, or pregnancy.
A nipple may become erect for any number of reasons, not simply arousal. This includes being cold or just because it is, much like penile erections.
Nipples can face any direction, up, down, to the sides. It’s all up to genetics!
Nipple Health
If there is nipple discharge, you should see a doctor
Nipple sensitivity can be changed by breast surgery.
Leave the bumps in the areola alone! They are called Mongomery glands (areolar glands). They secrete lipoid fluid that helps keep the nipple from chaffing.
Sore nipples can be from a range of things including hormonal changes.
Hair around the nipples is normal in both biological men and women.
Both biological men and women have nipples as they form very early in gestation, before the genes responsible for the development of sex organs activate.
Nipple cancer (Paget’s disease) is rare but occurs in 1-4% of breast cancer cases.
Nipple stimulation can help induce labour.
Nipples and Sex
82% of biological women and 52% of biological men feel enhanced sexual arousal from nipple simulation.
Orgasms from nipple simulation are a thing. In fact, so are nipple orgasms.
Everyone responds differently to nipple stimulation. Some people may enjoy rough play, others may find it agonizing.
Changes in hormone levels during sex can cause nipples to become sore after sex. Treatment for this would be a warm compress, avoiding caffeine, wearing a supportive bra, and over-the-counter pain medications like Tylenol or ibuprofen
Like any other area of the body rich in nerve endings, nipples may become easily overstimulated.
Nipple piercing can increase nipple sensitivity due to the piercing itself stimulating the nerves more directly than through the flesh. Alternately, they can be uncomfortable for others during sex.
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