Sirena Bergman
The Independent
United Kingdom
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Past articles by Sirena:
How enduring use of 150-year-old speculum puts women off smear tests
The medical tool used for smear tests has essentially remained unchanged since its invention in the 1840s, writes Sirena Bergman → Read More
A TikTok mom who went viral for posting a dance video from her baby's hospital room said she was just trying to 'be positive'
Whitney Leavitt's since-deleted TikTok showed her dancing next to her hospitalized baby. After receiving backlash, she spoke out to defend the video. → Read More
How a boat stuck in the Suez Canal became the biggest meme of 2021 so far
The Suez Canal blockage by the Ever Given may be the most remembered news story of 2021, largely because of the extraordinary way in which it flooded the internet. → Read More
James Charles' underage sexting scandal lands makeup brand Morphe in hot water
Pressure is mounting on the makeup brand to speak out following James Charles' video addressing recent accusations that he sexted teenage boys. → Read More
10 best moisturisers for combination skin that really work
Find a product that's tailor-made to tackling your tricky skin → Read More
Galentine’s Day 2020: 11 books about female friendship to give to your girlfriends
The only thing as good as an evening with a great friend is an evening with a great book. → Read More
YouTube conquered the world in the 2010s – where does it go from here?
At the turn of the last decade, YouTube was four years and 10 months old. “YouTuber” wasn’t a word. Neither was “influencer”. There was no such thing as a “beauty guru” or a “daily vlogger”. Viral videos were grainy images of cats play-fighting, cute toddlers whining “Charlie bit me” and Lonely Island parody videos. → Read More
My one holiday wish is for an end to the cult of Christmas
I do wish Christmas wasn’t so awful. I also wish I could drink a bottle of wine and not have a hangover the next day; I wish I could eat brownies for every meal and not get diabetes; I wish I could get a novel published without actually sitting down to write it. → Read More
TI's 'virginity test' for his daughter is disgusting – but the real tragedy is how many other men would do the same
To be outraged at the rapper’s comments is appropriate, but it’s dangerous to frame it as an exceptional case. We need to dismantle the idea that women’s sexuality is for men to control → Read More
In praise of turning colleagues into friends – and why it may help your career
CS Lewis famously said that friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, “What! You too? I thought I was the only one”. Nowhere is such an interaction more likely to take place than in a work environment. Annoyed at the commute? Me too! Delighted by the new options in the office canteen? Same! Going stir-crazy with your boss’s unreasonable demands? Hard → Read More
Almost half of men think housework is shared equally – but research shows women disagree
There is a significant difference in men and women's perception of who does the majority of domestic labour in opposite-sex couples with children, according to a new survey. While the majority of participants agree that men and women should do equal shares of childcare and housework, only 20 per cent of women think this actually happens, compared to 40 per cent of men who said → Read More
Company sparks anger by claiming at-home 'MeToo' rape kit could stop sexual assault
An American company is planning to sell "at-home rape kits", claiming that they could function as "a symbol of protection and hopeful deterrent to assault". The so-called MeToo Kit is indented to allow sexual assault victims to collect their own DNA samples without having to see a medical professional, however the brand cannot guarantee that such a sample would → Read More
James Charles in Twitter row after accusing Wet'n'Wild of copying his eyeshadow palette
It's been a while since James Charles has got himself involved in drama, but he's back with a vengeance, this time threatening legal action against make-up brand Wet'n'Wild. The company recently tweeted an image of their new 40-shade eye shadow palette which launched at RuPaul's DragCon this weekend. → Read More
Pornhub is 'profiting from revenge porn' says campaigner
Porn streaming sites such as Pornhub are profiting from revenge porn and therefore disinclined to remove it once reported, according to a campaign group. → Read More
How to turn 11 days' annual leave into almost four weeks off in 2020 with this holiday hack
Here in the UK, most workers are entitled to a relatively decent holiday allowance, but even if you only have the bare minimum available, you can still enjoy a long stretch off work. If you're smart about the days you book off, there is a simple way to make the most of just 11 days’ annual leave in 2020. → Read More
Social media users struggle to identify ads posted by influencers, study reveals
Social media users struggle to identify ads posted by influencers, even when they are labelled as such, says to a new report. The findings show that clear labelling is more crucial than ever, according to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) which carried out the study. → Read More
'Love Island' contestant Marcel Somerville reveals he was target of racist abuse on social media
Love Island's Marcel Somerville has shared his experience of receiving racist abuse on social media. Speaking to MPs to a select committee this afternoon, he said he had received little preparation for the abuse he would encounter. Somerville explained that he had received racist direct messages on social platforms. → Read More
Teenage girls at risk of relationship abuse are the focus of new campaign by Women's Aid
A new campaign starting this week aims to support teenage girls at risk of relationship abuse, and challenge preconceptions surrounding issues like coercive control. → Read More
Peter Lindbergh death: Charlize Theron and Linda Evangelista among celebrities paying tribute to late photographer
Celebrities have been posting their tributes to fashion photographer Peter Lindbergh, whose death was announced today on his Instagram account. The 74-year-old photographer was considered on of the most influential contemporary fashion photographers and was best known for his humnanist, cinematic approach which many credit with redefining beauty standards. → Read More
BBC mocked for accidentally using image of Meghan and Harry waxwork on live TV
BBC News appears to have confused the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's Madame Tussauds sculptures for the real people, in a blunder that can only be interpreted as a huge compliment to the artist. → Read More