Disclaimer: I received an advance copy of this through NetGalley.

I feel like I have seen this book mentioned repeatedly in social media, and even mentioned on a few podcasts I listen to. All reviews have been glowing, so, naturally, I was curious.

As stated at the beginning of the book, it could be used as a reference, or read straight through. I opted to read the book in its entirety, because, why not? The book is well organized and lends itself easily to reference material (just search via chapter title). The first section is an overview of female anatomy, followed by logical sections on everything from birth control to "what if i experience problem 'x"?"

The author narrates the book in a very fluid, casual manner, much like a conversation you would have with a doctor that you are comfortable talking to. It's a very easy to read style.

I think this book is great for anyone that: (a) knows nothing about vaginas; (b) has a specific embarrassing question; (c) is curious to learn a little more about female anatomy and issues/"features." It's a very pro-woman, take control of a situation on your terms type of book, which is a nice change of pace.

The bad: this is a high level book. It does go into details about different issues one might experience as a female, but it doesn't go into many details. Each chapter is neat, tidy, succinct. If you are reading to learn a lot, you will be looking elsewhere. Think of this as a springboard of information to get to the meat of what you are really asking. There are a few gems in here, but you are only going to consider them such if you are reading this book as reference text, not straight through.

Know yourself!

So there I was browsing through Health recommendations and I saw this title. I had seen it before but had passed it by. However it came up as a segue recommendation from a friend so I read a few reviews. What attracted me was that the majority of reviewers give it four or five stars. Anything on women's health information rating that high from such a diverse group of contributors is a must read.
I found the book a very readable eye opener about women's bodies. The sixties and seventies gave us the sexual revolution but it seems it's taken 60 more years for the reality information revolution to happen. Women's health personalized. Helpful for all.

A Citadel/Kensington Books ARC via NetGalley

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2019/09/whatcha-reading-september-2019-part-one/

Mentioned book in SBTB’s bimonthly Whatcha Reading Post:


“In non-fiction, I’m going through Dr. Jen Gunter’s The Vagina Bible after listening to her podcast with Sarah. I was hesitant to start it because I’m not great with medical non-fiction (I don’t understand it easily and it doesn’t hold my attention for long). But I was wrong, and the book is flat out amazing and accessible, even to people who normally struggle with nonfiction. I firmly believe that every person with a vagina should read this book. I thought I was well-informed about my body, and it has become clear to me that I am not. So it’s a little embarrassing to reflect on my ignorance, but I’ll take a smidge of shame if that’s what it takes to educate me.”

An interesting book to learn about a body part I have. It’s well written and informative. I appreciate the honest information.

Thanks to NetGalley for this book.

Everyone needs to read this book. I was intrigued by this book and all the information it provided in sometimes layman's terms. I also liked the end of the chapters entitled "bottom line" where she summarizes it.

I learned a lot and wish I read this book when I was younger instead of my mother "throwing" a book at me when I turned 13 and got my period.

I do admit that I skipped over some of the parts that weren't pertinent to me but did skim some of those also.

Thank you Dr. Jennifer Gunther for this informative book and I wish I had you as my doctor since I'd probably feel comfortable with you.

Insightful and with much appreciated candor, I know of at least three women for whom I'm buying The Vagina Bible. If your group isn't the bashful sort, why not make this the next book for your your book club. I highly recommend it.aInsightful and with much appreciated candor, I know of at least three women for whom I'm buying The Vagina Bible. If your group isn't the bashful sort, why not make this the next book for your your book club. I highly recommend it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Okay, so this is not a typical read for me, but the cover and title caught my eye. My experience has been that women are not really given a lot of information about their bodies and how they work, so I thought this would be an informative read. While I would have preferred just a straight explanation without all the references to the influence of patriarchal bias (even if they are likely true), I did find the book educational and learned a few things I didn't know. The writing style was conversational even while keeping medical terminology accurate. Slang terms were provided when needed to ensure readers were able to find what they were looking for. The structure of the book was helpful because individual chapters did not have to be read in order, making this usable as a quick reference type guide. I also found the highlight of primary facts at the end of each chapter to be helpful. I wouldn't say it was the be all end all of women's health, but I think it achieved it's purpose of educating women on the function of their bodies and and caring for them.

I received an ARC from Net Galley for honest review.

This book is AMAZING! I loved it so much. I want to buy a copy for every single woman friend and family member!

I loved how the author gave real, realistic advice that she actually follows herself. I've been struggling with yeast infections for the last 4+ years and it has been impossible to get the right information from doctors. If I hear another "where cotton underwear" or "wipe front to back" again I will literally kill someone. I thought I knew everything there was to do with the vulva (from my chronic infections, I have done a ton of research) and I still didn't know 50% of what was in this book.

This is literally the holy grail for women!! 5 STARS!

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for the ARC! I'll actually be buying a physical copy of this one <3

This is such a great, accessible resource! This book is a large guide to vaginal issues that you may experience throughout your life. It is a well-balanced mix of myth-busting and cold hard facts. It emphasizes that vaginas are resilient, you should never use douches or feminine hygiene products that try to shame you about normal bodily functions, and the patriarchy sucks. I read this 400-page manual in less than a week, if that tells you anything about how much I enjoyed this book.

I feel excited to go to the gynecologist and be my own advocate. I also feel better equipped to address some myths when they inevitably come up with my patients! I want to put this into everybody’s hands, and I want Dr. Jen Gunter to make an updated version every 10 yrs with the latest research.

Pros:
-Though I read it front to back, you could also choose to read individual chapters if/when they apply to you. I’m sure I’ll dip back into it for plenty of future questions, concerns, and curiosities.
-While a lot of the data out there about vaginas is very heteronormative, Dr. Gunter does a great job of providing facts for people of other sexualities. She also covers how some things may or may not change for MTF and FTM transgender individuals.
-Each chapter includes “bottom line” summaries at the end of every chapter, aka a TLDR that is perfect for this age of short attention spans
-While she still uses some technical terminology, it is easy to skim past a lot of the technical stuff if it is not something you feel like you need to know.
-I appreciate how she adds her personal experiences throughout the book, from her preferences of sugaring vs waxing to when she has drastically misdiagnosing herself.

A few downsides:
-I was rubbed the wrong way when it is suggested that women should make sure the condom is not removed during sex (otherwise known as stealthing). She says, “be explicit beforehand if [stealthing] is not acceptable to you.” It stuck out to me because the rest of the book never felt like it was placing an undue burden on women. As it is stated in the book, stealthing is condom sabotage. So to me, this should always be thought of as unacceptable unless a woman says otherwise.
-Because you can dip in and out of the book, I found that there was a lot of repetition between certain chapters. Also, you may have to go back to look at some acronyms that were defined in earlier chapters.

SO MANY GOOD QUOTES:
-“There’s a lot of money in vaginal shame."
-“Every time we make a woman jump through a useless hoop to get better, we add a burden, be it financial, or emotional, or the exasperation of doing so many things and yet realizing that you are running very hard but not getting anywhere.”
-“A vagina does not make you a woman, how you feel inside does.”
-When discussing pelvic floor muscle spasms: “Working with a psychologist to address trauma, anxiety, and any relationship issues may be part of the treatment plan. This doesn’t mean that your pain is in your head, it means that pain affects your life.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing Corp. for the e-ARC, and Kensington for the free physical copy.

I’m going to make a bold claim: if you are a person with a vagina, you need this book. Whether you read it front to back or use it as a resource tool, it is one of the most important books I’ve read for my own health and well-being and I commend it to everyone. I’m a relatively informed cis-het woman and I still learned so much in this book.

Dr. Jen Gunter writes in an accessible, engaging style. Her astute insights and observations are interspersed with humor and wit. Her goal is to empower and inform and she more than did the job. I especially appreciated how she showed the role of patriarchy in women’s health: "Medicine has been steeped in man-splaining from the start.” We need so much more research and information on vaginas and vulvas and she is shining a bright light for us.

There are chapters like how to discuss concerns with your doctor, as well as chapters on topics like menopause, genital hygiene, hair removal, and proper tampon selection. It’s one of the most thorough resources I’ve ever read and I feel so much more empowered as a result, as well as more aware of what I didn’t know before because of how little good information is out there. We are constantly exposed to poor research and often gaslit for our concerns so it is beyond helpful to have a guide at the ready should you experience any symptoms or receive a diagnosis.

This is a truly inclusive book. Chapter 3 is specifically about trans people: Vaginas and Vulvas in Transition. It was so great to see the various concerns and barriers to care addressed. Throughout the book, she specifically notes risk factors and concerns for those who are lesbian, bisexual, or trans.

The myth-busting portions proved to be particularly valuable, whether it was something I’d heard or done before or not. For instance, I was flummoxed to learn wearing cotton underwear to prevent yeast infections is a myth. Something I've heard my whole life! But there’s negligible research to prove that claim, no matter how often I’ve heard that advice. Same goes with peeing after sex to prevent a UTI. Two studies showed there is no correlation there.

Related to all this myth-busting is Gunter’s stringent research methodology. She takes great pains to reference when research has been negligible, when sample sizes are too small to give us clear results, when more search is needed, and so on. She backs up her work and shows where more information was needed to make a determination. There’s also an entire chapter on how to evaluate medical research, which includes how to determine whether bias is at play and where to even start online. As someone who was a sociology major, I wish this was something more people knew, particularly how to evaluate research quality, so I was glad to see her lay it out.

I’ll be recommending this one to everyone I know. All my gratitude to Dr. Gunter for writing it.

*•*ARC copy was provided by netgalley.*•*
•I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.•

I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!

This is an amazing book to help you!
It’s not necessary a book that you read cover to cover but it something that anytime you pick it up you lean so much more about your self . These are the best kind of books cause you never get tired of them. You re read them forever!! I am one of those girls who was very self conscious about you know where . All to find out I’m normal :) thanks for that!!!
Great book and written so well that anyone can understand what they are reading !!!!

5 ★★★★★ for Jen's vagenda
The patriarchy and snake oil have had a good run, but I'm done with how they negatively affect and weaponize women's health. So I am not going to stop swinging my but until everyone has the tools to be an empowered patient and those who seek to subjugate women by keeping them from facts about their bodies have shut up and taken a seat in the back of class.
That's my vagenda.

⇝Preface.
What. a. book. I love it so much. My goodness, I really do I am 100% when I say that I will get this book for all my vagina carrying friends AND myself. This is definitely one of my most significant reads. Jen's book is:
⇝eye-opening
⇝empowering
⇝sobering
⇝based on facts and intense studies
⇝feminist
⇝fantastic
⇝and so many more adjectives. Just buy it!!

This book is for you if…you carry a vagina and vulva or don't carry one but want to educate yourself on them. Period.

It goes without saying that giving a summary of such a fantastic scientific book is impossible. Jen's writing style is clear and straight forward. She has a very honest and down to earth way of communicating facts and her experience as a gyn. She makes away with many ridiculous claims and practices that both society and science perpetuated but are actually crap. She also very clearly explains how patriarchy is still ruling a place where men have nothing to say (the vulva and vagina). Not only is this a very feminist read it is also addressing inequalities in access to health due to racist systems and frequently underlines the fact that being a woman is not only about having a vagina

Here's what to expect: I've marked what I found particularly useful with a moon:
GETTING STARTED
1 The Vulva 🌑
2 The Vagina 🌑
3 Vaginas and Vulvas in Transition 🌑
4 Female Pleasure and Sex Ed 🌑
5 Pregnancy and Childbirth

EVERYDAY PRACTICALITIES AND V MAINTENANCE
6 Medical Maintenance 🌑
7 Food and Vaginal Health 🌑
8 The Bottom Line on Underwear
9 The Lowdown on Lube
10 Kegel Exercises 🌑

SKIN CARE AND CLEANSING
11 Vulvar Cleansing: Soaps, Cleansers, and Wipes 🌑
12 Vaginal Cleansing: Douches, Steams, Sprays, and Potpourri 🌑
13 Hair Removal and Grooming 🌑
14 Moisturizers, Barriers, and Bath Products 🌑

MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS AND MYTHOLOGY
15 The Truth About Toxic Shock Syndrome 🌑
16 Are There Toxins in Tampons and Pads?
17 Menstrual Hygiene 🌑

MENOPAUSE
18 Menopause
19 Treating GSM

MEDICATIONS AND INTERVENTIONS
20 Cannabis
21 Contraception 🌑
22 Antibiotics and Probiotics
23 Cosmetic Procedures, Injections and "Rejuvenation" 🌑

SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS
24 General STI Information 🌑
25 STI Prevention 🌑
26 The Human Papilloma Virus
27 Herpes
28 Gonorrhea and Chlamydia
29 Trichomoniasis
30 Pubic Lice 🌑

CONDITIONS
31 Yeast
32 Bacterial Vaginosis
33 Vulvodynia
34 Pelvic Floor Muscle Spasm and Vaginismus
35 Skin Conditions
36 UTIs and Bladder Pain Syndrome 🌑
37 Pelvic Organ Prolapse

SYMPTOMS
38 Communicating with Your Provider 🌑🌑🌑🌑🌑
39 I Have Pain with Sex
40 I Have Vaginitis
41 I Hav a Vulvar Itch
42 I Have Vulvar Pain
43 I Have an Odor
44 I Have Bleeding After Sex

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
45 Medicine Cabinet Rehab 🌑
46 Internet Hygiene and Apps
47 Journal of Old Wives' Tales 🌑

REFERENCES
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS


Some aspects I highlighted throughout the book, with Jen's facts + opinions in cursive, many of them with a feminist vagenda:
The unclean vagina: Obsession with reproductive tract purity and cleansing date back to a time when a woman's worth was measured by her virginity and how many children she might bear. A vagina and uterus were currency. Playing on these fears awakens something visceral. AND It is important to remember that the concept of female cleanliness has largely been driven by a male-dominated society that for centuries, if not longer, has decided normal female genitals and secretions are "dirty".

the mighty penis: A penis is not the most reliable way to achieve female orgasm. AND The idea that a penis is mighty enough to bring on labor is, to be honest, a bit eye-rolling. AND Everyone (okay, the patriarchy) seems very impressed with the ability of a penis to grow, but the few centimetres of change that a penis can muster up pales in comparison with the vagina's ability to stretch.

the unimportant clitoris: Males of the time were unsure of the role of the clitoris and likely thought it unimportant. This stands in sharp contrast to the anatomic glory of the penis. [...] Society, including, medicine, is obsessed with erections, while the clitoris barely registers as a footnote.

"accidental" anal sex: Some women report coercion regarding anal sex, as well as so-called "accidental" but actually planned anal penetration by their male partners. [As someone who has had anal sex I cannot for the life of me understand how men can be asshole-y enough to do shit like this. Every single person who does this should be tied up and then be penetrated anally without lube. See how accidental it feels.]

A tip from Jen about all this "cleansing, cleaning, etc." products: The way some of these products are promoted makes it sound as if it is a miracle the vulva has made it this far.

The culture of chastising women for sex - which has been around ever since: The increased friction from dry tissues and/or the obvious discomfort of their partner was apparently a turn- on for women. I have often wondered if normalizing a practice that made sex painful for women was an invisible chastity belt. and I hear from women that some male partners "don't like" lubricant or say it affects their erection. It's only a few millilitres of lube (far less than an ounce), so it's not exactly as if his penis is encased in pudding. [...] If he uses this "too wet" excuse, then either he doesn't know what an excited vagina feels like or he could be projecting his medical condition, typically erectile dysfunction, onto you.
_____________________
This eArc was provided by Kensington Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you very much!

I found this book super super super interesting. Perhaps a bit too technically at times (can’t understand a lot of the figures) but I still enjoyed learning about a body part that no one really talks about enough. I’m a vaginismus suffering so it was great to hear from a gynaecologists point of view. I wish it was based more on the UK, rather than the USA - I think we have different procedures, but still very insightful!

The Vagina Bible is an intersting, eye-opening and empowering read.
The writing is so good and the pace is so fluid it doesn't seem you are reading a "medical" book.

Thanks to Dr Jen Gunter I've discovered some new things about my body that I'm sure will help me to feel comfortable in my own skin.

I'd never heard of Dr. Jen Gunter before, but since requesting this ARC of her upcoming book (I did so based solely on the genius cover alone, and because the full title piqued my interest), I found out that she’s got quite an online reputation and following (as well as her own column in the NYT), and is a crusader against Gwyneth Paltrow’s “health venture” Goop, who, among many other ethically questionable products (at best ineffective, at worst potentially harmful), promotes sticking a $60+ jade egg up your vagina for “spiritual detox”… I can get behind anyone loudly advocating against that.

Dr. Gunter has a very simple “vagenda”—to debunk old wives’ tales and combat the misinformation women are confronted with, by providing a comprehensive guidebook of accurate, medically sound information, because only someone armed with fact-based knowledge has the necessary tools to give informed consent when it comes to their health. The Vagina Bible (which covers the vulva and uterus as well) is broken up in sections and chapters that cover everything from the most basic anatomy, maintenance and care, menstruation and menopause, as well as STIs and other medical conditions. Each chapter is fairly short and snappy, full of good information and refutation of bad one, with the most important pieces of info summed up at the end of each with a handy list of bullet points. Despite having almost thirty years of experience as an OB/GYN, Gunter has been a blogger and columnist for many years, and her writing is the opposite of clinical, but rather lively, engaging, and often quite funny—my favorite out-of-context quote is definitely “it’s a vagina, not a piña colada“.

The title and subject matter may give the mistaken impression that this book adheres to a sex binary, but Gunter often goes into how certain conditions can affect trans* people transitioning from either sex, and I appreciated her making the effort to be inclusive of someone who probably has an even harder time acquiring the information they need. As for myself, I thought that I had a fairly good idea about my own bits, but this book schooled me and definitely filled some gaps—for instance, I never questioned the (what I now know to be a) myth that peeing after sex decreases the chances of getting a UTI, because it seemed oddly plausible to me. I also learned that having gotten my first period early in life won’t mean that I’ll go into menopause earlier, but the prolonged exposure to those hormones increases my risk of getting breast cancer down the line—how’s that for a cheery thought?

I’ve never (thankfully, knock on wood) suffered from any STD, yeast infection, UTI or anything of the sort (and this book made me appreciate just how lucky that is, given the prevalence), so all of that was a wealth of new information for me, although I admit that the latter half of the book felt very US-centric, since Gunter goes into treatment options in detail, giving commercial names of medication and their recommended dosage for intervention. Those chapters weren’t as captivating to read because they were so packed with information I didn’t have use for, but the right audience will surely appreciate it, and they’re a good resource to have after a doctor’s appointment if you have any lingering doubts about a diagnosis or prescription and are trying to decide whether you should get a second opinion. For myself, I would’ve liked it if she’d gone more in-depth about different types of hormonal birth control—I’ve switched to the mini-pill at the start of the year and have started questioning that choice, and there wasn’t much on that to be found within these pages, and I missed a chapter on endometriosis, a condition I fear I may suffer from, and a fear every gynecologist I’ve seen about it has dismissed without any testing.

Some omissions that probably would’ve been well beyond the scope of the book aside, The Vagina Bible is basically a vulva and vagina encyclopaedia where medical knowledge and myth busting meet a good dose of humor, and I’d recommend it to anyone who has (or used to have) a vagina, and to anyone who loves someone with one.

Wish I had this book when I was a teenager. Dr. Gunter debunks not only myths and old wives tales but also current advice that is purported as true by well-meaning folks and even some in the medical field. Heard over and over that I need to be my own advocate when it comes to my health. This book is so full of detailed information, which is backed up with references, that it belongs in every female household! Women should tell other women; mothers to daughters; and, yes, even to the male population. There’s no excuse for being ignorant while a book with current, detailed information is here to help all women from teen through those golden years.

Fantastic book! I was impressed by the sheer scope of this book, which has chapters on topics I've never even thought about. At first I thought that the writing style didn't hook me, but a few chapters in I realized that wasn't really the purpose of this book. It can be read cover to cover, but I think it should be treated as a reference book. I was also very impressed by how inclusive the book is. Every library and bookstore should stock this book!

I’ve seen Dr Gunter’s posts on twitter from time to time and found them interesting so was interested in this title when I found it. I’m glad I read it!

This is a must read for any woman. There’s a ton of information and while a lot of it didn’t apply to me, it’s good to have the resource. She covered many topics in this book and I think it will be helpful for any woman. She also went over some “myths” and why we shouldn’t worry about them.

Overall a great resource for women’s health. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting book. I thought the information presented was well laid out and flowed well. I really enjoyed reading it.

I am actually ashamed to say that I didn't know about a large part of this book even though I am born with a vagina.

The amount of misinformation available on the internet is huge. And there is no end to fads about women hygiene. That's where this book comes. The author is a practicing gynaecologist lending credibility to this book. The author talks about everything and when I say everything, I mean everything - STIs, menopause, cleanliness, odour, menstruation, sex, etc. The sections were well organized and written. Things were explained using diagrams, wherever necessary.

I have gone through the entire book once. I will definitely come back to the sections that I have found most useful. This book can be revisited based on your need at the moment - let's say you want to know something about menstruation, just open that chapter and get going. That's where the organization shines.

Overall, a highly recommended read to anyone who has a vagina or wants to get up, close and personal with someone's vagina. Yes, males need this book too. The author talks about the clitoris and why blowing air inside the vagina during oral sex is a terribly bad idea with disastrous consequences.

I received a free book from NetGalley.