Publishers Weekly
★ 11/13/2023
Gynecologist Gunter (The Menopause Manifesto) delivers a superb overview of “the menstrual cycle and the medical conditions and therapies associated with” it. Delving into the science of periods, Gunter explains that “seven to 10 days after ovulation,” endometrium in the uterus fills “with storage sugars and lipids” to provide nourishment for potential embryos; if conception doesn’t occur, the endometrium is expelled and the process restarts. Patriarchal perspectives, Gunter contends, have dominated women’s healthcare for centuries (ancient Greek men viewed menstruation as “proof that women have troublesome physiology”), and women continue to be underserved by the medical research community, as evidenced by the fact that government-funded medical studies weren’t required to include women until 1993 and that the U.S. only spends about $2 per patient on endometriosis research per year, compared to $31.30 on diabetes, “which affects the same number of people.” Gunter is a sharp critic of the ways in which menstrual complications have been dismissed by the medical establishment (she notes that despite painful periods affecting a majority of women, they are often dismissed as “exaggerated and a sign of weakness” while “billions of dollars of funding” are showered on erectile dysfunction), and her talent for explicating the biology of periods will engage even the scientifically uninclined. Filled with piercing social analysis and enlightening science, this one’s a winner. Agent: Jill Marr, Sandra Dijkstra Literary. (Jan.)
From the Publisher
Praise for Blood
“Gynecologist Gunter (The Menopause Manifesto) delivers a superb overview of “the menstrual cycle and the medical conditions and therapies with” it. …Gunter is a sharp critic of the ways in which menstrual complications have been dismissed by the medical establishment (she notes that despite painful periods affecting a majority of women, they are often dismissed as “exaggerated and a sign of weakness” while “billions of dollars of funding” are showered on erectile dysfunction), and her talent for explicating the biology of periods will engage even the scientifically uninclined. Filled with piercing social analysis and enlightening science, this one’s a winner.” —Publishers Weekly, STARRED Review
“Requisite reading. A no-nonsense, educational, science-backed, in-depth title about menstruation and the impact it can have on one’s body. This title will empower readers to better understand their bodies and to advocate for themselves in medical situations.” —Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
“This book is the brilliant and long needed corrective that we have waited for, since the first time we stuffed a box of pads into a three-ply paper bag and slunk out of a pharmacy. Never again.” —Samantha Bee on Blood
"Funny, erudite, compassionate, and righteous—sometimes all in a single sentence—Jen Gunter is the period expert we need right now." —Emily Nagoski, PhD, New York Times bestselling author of Come Together on Blood
“Clear, candid, and crucial information about a bodily process that has often been used as an excuse to shun, degrade, dismiss, and define human beings. Gunter deftly shovels away the patriarchal BS that's piled up around menstruation and digs into the most effective ways to live with and manage it, treat conditions related to it, and move past the myths concocted about it. An essential resource for anyone who menstruates or thinks menstruation is a mystery.” —Emily Willingham, PhD, author of Phallacy on Blood
Praise for Dr. Jen Gunter
“An exhilarating read and a comprehensive review of all things menopause.” —North American Menopause Society on The Menopause Manifesto
"Empowerment of women through accurate information about their own bodies is the "vagenda" of ob-gyn and New York Times columnist Gunter's comprehensive, pseudoscience-bashing discussion of all things vaginal and vulvar. Gunter approachably, respectfully, and even playfully presents a huge amount of reproductive and sexual health education information to women, with the assurance that they can use it." —Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW for The Vagina Bible
"Dr. Jennifer Gunter is the world's most famous—and outspoken—gynecologist. And she's on a mission to empower women with medical facts, taking on wellness gurus, old wives' tales and the patriarchy." —The Guardian on The Vagina Bible
"If you don't know who Jen Gunter is, let us introduce you to the most badass obstetrician and gynecologist around. She's passionately advised against sticking jade eggs up your vagina, addressed abortion fallacies, and has even argued against why your partner should not use tape on the tip of his penis as birth control." —Women's Health on The Vagina Bible
"Stories debunking viral nonsense about women's bodies often cite the same doctor: San Francisco-based gynecologist Jennifer Gunter, M.D. Whether she's taking down Goop's ode to vaginal steaming or womb detox pearls, Dr. Gunter has become a leading internet proponent of leaving your vagina alone. Gunter frequently writes about gynecological snake oil...She's like Twitter's gynecologist." —The Cut
"Dr. Jen Gunter is the internet's favorite Goop critic." —Recode Decode
"As an OB-GYN with nearly three decades of experience, Gunter knows from crotches....Shaky assertions made by natural health products serve only to misdirect women, Gunter argues in her new book, The Vagina Bible, a sassy manual of anatomical and self-care tips...As the global wellness industry tops $4.2 trillion, Gunter is on a mission to arm women with science-based advice in hopes of stanching the spread of health misinformation. Increasingly, she's been sounding the alarm about how confusion surrounding women's bodies fuels larger efforts to control them." —Mother Jones
"Armed with science (and snark), Dr. Jen Gunter takes on Trump, Goop, and all manner of bizarre health trends...Dr. Jennifer Gunter presses a provocative crusade to protect women's health, preserve reproductive freedoms—and, while she's at it, dismantle all the dubious, dangerous medical advice she comes across in the wilds of the internet...a valiant defender of science." —STAT News on The Vagina Bible
"Routinely responding with snark and medical data to [unfounded] pronouncements on diet and female genital health." —The New York Times
“Gynecologist Gunter (The Vagina Bible) helps women navigate the ins and outs of menopause in this delightfully conversational and strongly feminist guide… Plain talk and valuable information abound… Readers looking to separate menopausal fact from fiction should take note.” —Publishers Weekly on The Menopause Manifesto
"Reading The Vagina Bible is like having the best, realest, most honest talk ever with your best friend- if your best friend happened to be a leading expert in women's health. I want to give this book to everyone I know." —Rachel Hawkins, New York Times bestselling author
"The Vagina Bible—Dr. Jen Gunter's savvy, detailed, funny and wise guide to female health—should be required reading for every woman seeking smart information about her body. I don't say this often but it's a don't miss book." —Deborah Blum, New York Times bestselling author of The Poison Squad
"Dr. Jen Gunter is a fountain of critically important information and she's funny as hell. Buy this book if you have a vagina or if you spend any time at all in reasonably close proximity to one."
—Ayelet Waldman, New York Times bestselling author of A Really Good Day
"Men who want to understand the experiences of their partners or provide sound guidance to their daughters should turn to The Vagina Bible. Jen Gunter offers authoritative information with her trademark clarity and good humor." —Carl Zimmer, author of She Has Her Mother's Laugh
Library Journal
★ 11/01/2023
Gynecologist Gunter, author of a myth-busting book about menopause (The Menopause Manifesto) and host of a podcast focused on disrupting false and fearmongering health information (Body Stuff with Dr. Jen Gunter), presents this work that's sure to change the way people talk about menstruation. She combines her clinical expertise with copious research to provide readers with an overview of concerns and an analysis of everything from inane historical fears (e.g., that menstruating women may wilt plants) to contemporary restrictions that promote prejudices about sexuality. "The menstrual cycle is the wheel that drives humanity," she argues. Gunter disrupts historical myths along with more recent ones, such as cycle-syncing or the idea that sex during menstruation is medically unsound. VERDICT Requisite reading. A no-nonsense, educational, science-backed, in-depth title about menstruation and the impact it can have on one's body. This title will empower readers to better understand their bodies and to advocate for themselves in medical situations.—Emily Bowles
