An honest reflection on the author's journey through years of horrific pain, finally diagnosed, initial relief, and crashing reality as she grapples with several compounding "unfixable" chronic pain conditions. Her obsession with attempted prevention rang very true to my own after my initial Vagina Problem diagnosis. Parker weaves in hopeful and earnest prose without getting Pollyanna or despondent. Reading about her reworking of relationship and sexual expectations helped me release some unhelpful expectations of my own. But even if you have not experienced pelvic pain, this book offers key insight to the daily impact chronic pain in general can have on a person. I feel more empathetic toward myself and my friends with health complications. It's a quick read too, with conversational language. Definitely worth the read even if you don't personally relate.

Yes, Yes and more yes! This book is so relevant, and a topic that is taboo and not often enough talked about. From the first chapter I was intrigued. The author is honest, raw, and and informative...and the reader immediately empathizes with her story. I was shocked! Absolutely loved this one,.

When I first found this book, I was so excited to read it. I have interstitial cystitis, also know one chronic pelvic pain which is a form of complex regional pain syndrome. In my case, my immune system attacks my bladder causing painful bleeding ulcers, sharp pain and urgency. I could personally relate to Lara on so many levels. I loved how she was so raw and open about her medical issues. It made me feel less alone. I found myself sharing excerpt with my friends and family because Lara was able to put into words exactly how I was feeling. The only reason I didn’t give the book 5 stars was because towards the ends, the book became a little drawn out and repetitive.

Readable, thoughtful, useful. This is a book incredibly important for all ages. It should be part of health curriculum for boys and girls. And frankly all adults, queer or straight. It offers insights of situations people have gone through, even if you don’t. Important and well done.

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and author Lara Parker for providing me with an ARC of Vagina Problems!

Amazing, amazing, amazing. I absolutely loved and adored this book. Parker was able to put into words every thought I've ever had while dealing with my Endometriosis. The absolute truth with which she speaks was so incredibly refreshing. How this chronic illness can consume one's days and nights - every single d*mn day, honestly. Also, the fact that she was able to put into words the struggle with finding a doctor who believes you and treats you spoke to my soul.

It was so nice to see a shared struggle story and feel understood/accepted. Hugs to my Endo sisters everywhere, this isn't an easy battle!

Thank you again to those named above for allowing me to read and review this novel!

Thank you Lara for the educational lesson on illnesses of which prior to this novel I claim full ignorance of. This book was raw but most importantly, it was real. I myself have suffered from a brain seizure and staph infection but cannot imagine living a life dictated by pain. The fact that she finds joy in spite of it is truly motivational. This book demonstrates why former topics that were deemed taboo need to be spoken about. Brava Lara for refusing to let your voice be silenced.

I was drawn into the book for the first few chapters by how open and honest the author was. It started to get a bit repetitive after that.

I felt I was reading MY story from over twenty-five years ago. Endometriosis is such a horrible disease because it is hard to prove (or costly)...it messes with you physically and mentally. What a great book for validation. I would love to give a copy to the doctor who I could not get to believe me....

Thank you for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really learned so much in this book. Basically this is a real education in endometriosis. First of all I thought I knew about it, well, I did not. This book at times can really be complaining from the author point of view in regards to how much pain she is in and the episodes that she goes through to truly find out what is wrong with her. However, I cannot begin to imagine truly what it felt like to be in her shoes. Was just thinking maybe some resources or something to help those that are going through the same problems and do not know where to turn? I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A great book about one woman's health problems and how it is emblematic of how the medical profession ignored women's pain and health. Her story is that of millions of women who have and had doctors who did not listen to their issues and how we suffer for it. A must read for women of all ages!

Vagina Problems

Why this is an important read: 1/10 women with endometriosis go undiagnosed and 200 million are suffering world-wide. Lara Parker allows readers to connect, although it is on the basis of physical and emotional pain. If you are suffering from Vagina Problems, or know someone who is, this should be your next read. What I appreciate most is Lara Parker’s ability to write words that are raw and un-sugar-coated (I just made this word up). Although I couldn’t directly feel her pain, I could empathize with her.

What this book lacked for me what the science behind what Lara was chronically feeling. But I study medicine so I am 100% biased. This book isn't written to help you understand what endometriosis biologically, especially if you have been recently diagnosed. However, it shines a light on what life is like for someone with this condition.

I would recommend Vagina Problems to my fellow female warriors.

Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgally for review purposes.

Okay, this book was too good. I feel like she was speaking for me and telling stories of my own experiences. I'd never felt more seen, especially when she told all the stories about doctors not listening, not caring, and overall just giving us sad excuses and results. It hurts. When she talked about trying to date with her problems, or travel, or when she wondered what her life would be like when she wasn't sick - not to mention talking about having to be on the couch when people around her are partying and she can't even just have a night out with her friends. It hurts. It's relatable and also so sad to know that so many other women are going through this yet we all feel so alone.

It took her five years to get a diagnosis and on average it usually takes around seven. I'm still waiting for mine. Not knowing what's wrong and having no one listen or seem to care is infuriating. But that's how I knew I needed to read this book. The cover art is beautiful and stood out but when I read the description I was so shocked and happy.

Also, in googling and trying to find people with my similar issues I actually found an in-depth article that spoke exactly what I was feeling. Guess who wrote it? Lara. It feels like she's the only person willing to bring light to this situation but I'm so glad she is. It's just shocking that the ONLY article I had found was by the same person who wrote this. There needs to be more.

Rambling aside thank you so much Lara for making me feel less alone and probably so many others. I can't wait to buy a physical copy. Would recommend to everyone (especially doctors, goddamn)

I have followed Lara Parker on Buzzfeed for awhile now. She was one of the only voices I was readily able to access when I received my very own Endometriosis diagnosis. I have so much respect for the way she showed up and offered her own life experience with vagina problems. I know I am not alone when I say that reading her articles made me feel less isolated in a time when isolation and I were very familiar with each other. At the time of my diagnosis, there were no other voices in the community openly discussing what I was experiencing and I will always be grateful to her for showing up in such a vulnerable way, to discuss something so personal.

I say all of that to convey how important it is for books like this one to be out in the world. When I turned to books from other people's perspective on living with endometriosis shortly after my diagnoses, I found none. Instead, I found a lot of medical journals that I read and understood about 20% of the text. The lack of material out there on something that 1 in 10 women suffer from is astounding to me. This fact alone makes Parker's book an important, timely read.

Vagina Problems covers so much of what it is like to experience pelvic pain without answers. Lara talks about living with chronic pain and the challenges of feeling like you are taking up space in a way people are uncomfortable acknowledging. The chapter discussing the complete lack of help doctors have to offer people suffering from chronic pain was so eerily accurate it was difficult for me to get through. All of these topics are so important, and I feel Parker gave voice to a myriad of issues too many are familiar with.

The struggle that I had with getting through this book was the redundancy in writing and in pain explanations. Every page felt familiar because parker had said it in a slightly different way several times before. A lot of phrasing was repetitive and she would give vague details of a life experience in one chapter only to go into the same story several chapters later in greater depth. This book felt spread a little thin. I wondered several times If maybe she didn't have enough content for a full book and tried to stretch it a little farther than it could go physically. There is a lot of fluff here and I almost feel like Vagina Problems could have benefitted from one more round of editing, or maybe even rearranging chapters for a better flow. Do not get me wrong, I think Parker is an excellent writer, I just feel this particular book could use a little extra finessing.

The very fact that a book like this is going to be out for public consumption gives me hope that people can reach a greater understanding of what it is like for chronic pain sufferers. I hope that books like Vagina problems will eventually push the medical field to advocate for their patients. In my own experience, and in the experience of Lara Parker, patients have to beg and plead to be believed and treated with the kind of care and respect that they deserve in order to receive a formal diagnosis. This HAS to change and in my opinion, publishing a book like this is a step in the right direction.

Reviewer's note: A copy of this book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.


You can find the book Vagina Problems: Endometriosis, Painful Sex, and Other Taboo Topics on a bookshelf near you on October 6th 2020!!!!


⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5 stars

When I saw this book on NetGally I got super excited! dealing with endo myself it's almost comforting to read that I'm not alone with my chronic pain.
Lara takes you on a journey of her struggles with Vagina Problems throughout her years, the endless amount of doctors appointments and days in bed. Finding a doctor to help with any sort of Vagina Problems is definitely a struggle, thinking you're going crazy while dealing with all the pain and stress is a true bummer. This book definitely gives you a really descriptive perspective on what someone with Vagina Problems deals with on a day to day basis.

Lara Parker wrote "Vagina Problems" because talking about it is taboo and she wants to help normalize it.  She suffers from endometriosis, a condition that effects 1 in 10 women, yet it took her years and years to be properly diagnosed all the while she had to deal with terrible pain that no one was really able to help her with.  I can't even imagine! 

I think this is a great book for anyone who may be dealing with the same kind of condition - she talks about what did and didn't work for her (and while everyone's bodies are different, it could be a good place to start for some) and how she dealt with dating when she couldn't have sex because it was to painful and just dealing in day to day life before she could get things properly diagnosed and a bit more under control.

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review, I was not otherwise compensated.

"Vagina Problems" comes off more like a rant than a self-help book. I can't imagine living with chronic vaginal pain like that but the tone was very aggressive and repetitive. I felt like the Lara Parker was screaming at me through every chapter. It was really off-putting and exhausting. She kept repeating herself and I didn't really learn anything of value. She never explained all the conditions she was diagnosed with. I would've preferred her going into detail. I understood her anger and frustration when it came to her experiences with doctors throughout her life, but my reading experience was not a pleasant one. With that being said, I think if you're suffering from chronic pain/discomfort or know someone who is, this book might be more helpful than it was for me.

Thank you, Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital ARC.

Release date: October 6, 2020

I imagined something like Jen Gunter’s Vagina Bible with this; they are nothing alike. This is less of a manual, and more of a memoir about chronic vaginal pain. A little long winded and repetitive, with lots of feelings and less facts.

A book every girl should read!

Lara Parker takes a private subject and makes it approachable, relatable, and best of all - funny. As the title suggests, this book is about the female anatomy. But it is more than that.. it is about what we are afraid to talk about and what we are not sure about.

I really admire Parker for this book she wrote. She wrote this novel with confidence and zest.

A book for every woman.

My opinion of this book was that it seemed like it was just one whining, annoying complaint. As a women some similar-ish issues, I can empathize but there really wasn't much humor in this until she shared some of the painful sex episodes. This was not what I expected when I requested a free read from Netgalley, and damn I am sure glad this was free because I would bring this back for refund if I had purchased it. JUST MY OPINION. Do not waste your time on this, surprised I finished this but I found myself skim reading most of the chapters.

Don't think I would recommend this as book about these subjects, it was just irritatingly annoying the whole way though but I appreciate her bravery for sharing such a painful and personal issue. Thanks to NEtgalley, the author and publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 10/6/20

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was well-written and wonderfully explained chronic pain associated with vagina problems. I especially enjoyed the humor incorporated throughout and the call for more research into these diseases.