With very few exceptions, puberty is an awkward stage. Boys are plagued with intensified sex drives and squeaky voice changes. Girls are burdened with menstruation and, love it or hate it, breast development. Unfortunately, these bodily changes can provoke body dysmorphia, a mental illness involving obsessive focus on perceived flaws in one’s appearance.
For instance, a growing number of young girls have been practicing a technique called chest binding, which involves compressing breast tissue in an attempt to appear more masculine. Compression garments are frequently worn by transgender and “nonbinary” people to diminish feelings of body dysmorphia.
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