Instant New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestseller!Boston Globe bestseller#1 Canadian BestsellerOB/GYN, The New York Times columnist, host of the show Jensplaining, and internationally bestselling author Dr. Jen Gunter now delivers the definitive book on vaginal health, answering the questions you’ve always had but were afraid to ask—or couldn’t find the right answers to. She has … answering the questions you’ve always had but were afraid to ask—or couldn’t find the right answers to. She has been called Twitter’s resident gynecologist, the Internet’s OB/GYN, and one of the fiercest advocates for women’s health…and she’s here to give you the straight talk on the topics she knows best.
Does eating sugar cause yeast infections?
Does pubic hair have a function?
Should you have a vulvovaginal care regimen?
Will your vagina shrivel up if you go without sex?
What’s the truth about the HPV vaccine?
So many important questions, so much convincing, confusing, contradictory misinformation! In this age of click bait, pseudoscience, and celebrity-endorsed products, it’s easy to be overwhelmed—whether it’s websites, advice from well-meaning friends, uneducated partners, and even healthcare providers. So how do you separate facts from fiction? OB-GYN Jen Gunter, an expert on women’s health—and the internet’s most popular go-to doc—comes to the rescue with a book that debunks the myths and educates and empowers women. From reproductive health to the impact of antibiotics and probiotics, and the latest trends, including vaginal steaming, vaginal marijuana products, and jade eggs, Gunter takes us on a factual, fun-filled journey. Discover the truth about:
• The vaginal microbiome
• Genital hygiene, lubricants, and hormone myths and fallacies
• How diet impacts vaginal health
• Stem cells and the vagina
• Cosmetic vaginal surgery
• What changes to expect during pregnancy and after childbirth
• What changes to expect through menopause
• How medicine fails women by dismissing symptoms
Plus:
• Thongs vs. lace: the best underwear for vaginal health
• How to select a tampon
• The full glory of the clitoris and the myth of the G Spot
. . . And so much more. Whether you’re a twenty-six-year-old worried that her labia are “uncool” or a sixty-six-year-old dealing with painful sex, this comprehensive guide is sure to become a lifelong trusted resource.
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Everything you wanted to know about the vagina but were afraid to ask, or didn’t know who to ask, or couldn’t find anyone to ask.
Jennifer Gunter covers the basics such as what is what and where is everything including what makes up the Vulva, and the parts and anatomy of the clitoris. She goes on to debunk and or prove myths such as is there really a G-spot, inside the vagina or is it really just the parts of the clitoris near the bladder and vaginal wall on some women than are filled with blood and sensitive? Does eating pineapple really make a woman’s vagina smell and taste sweeter? Can women really ejaculate or “squirt” and what is it (FYI- it is not as sexy as men like to think)
There is information on the vagina for transgender women as well. And information on Pregnancy, menstruation, menopause. She talks about food and the vagina, clothes/fabrics and the vagina, cleansing products and moisturizers. There are a lot of facts and statistics so people can know what is average. There is a lot of misinformation out there, not only about the vagina but about females and sex. So she is putting everything out there and I like that.
It is definitely written like non-fiction (since it is). And tends to get a bit boring and clinical at times, but the book has a ton of great information. I could go on and on about the subjects in this book. Of course all the STI’s and infections are in here, including all the scary statistics like how many people out there have Herpes and don’t know it. I love how each chapter ends with a section called the Bottom Line and has a list of bullet points highlighting some of the main things she discussed in the chapter. Like the main points to take away. It ends nicely with a bunch more popular myths debunked. Did you know that we don’t actually need 8 glasses of water each day?
As a woman this is invaluable information. I’m sending it to both my daughters!! A must read!! So many questions answered.
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.
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.
Whether she is debunking the damage done by Freud or providing the low down on the science of sex, she provides a frank, funny and thoroughly science-informed perspective. This is the exact kind of book the world needs right now. Gunter pulls no punches and provides a clear and concise summation of the facts on every vagina-related topic you can think of. Seriously. Everything. The world needs more Jen!
Let me tell you I am a woman in her mid-thirties and there were things in this book that even I didn’t know about or thought one thing or told another and this book says the completely different thing. But also showing the reasons and examples why some of the things we have learned is not exactly right. The book was very educational. Happy reading everyone!!
All the details and factual information you wanted to know and didn’t know you wanted to know. Not only information rich but also at times funny so makes an interesting read even if it’s not a fiction. Recommended to read at least once.
More detail than you want to know
An invaluable resource for owners of vaginas everywhere! Keep it by your bedside table.
To paraphrase the cover blurb, this book is a must-read for anyone who has a vagina or is close to someone who has one. There is so much misinformation about female anatomy (I see all kinds of weird hymen stuff in novels, even in the 21st c.) that it’s helpful to have a good reference guide at hand no matter what your age, the status of your sex life, or what you think you know about what’s going on down there.
If I had a daughter or a sister I’d want them to have and read this book by a well-respected OB/GYN who has a vagina, and knows how much facts matter.
I’m all about smashing the patriarchy, empowering women, fighting woo woo, pseudoscience, and misinformation, so I was DELIGHTED when a colleague recommended Dr. Gunter and this book. This medically and scientifically accurate (yet totally accessible) book demystifies female anatomy, physiology, sexuality, and smashed the lies we’ve been told by the patriarchy with a wrecking ball. As a breast cancer survivor, I especially appreciated the chapter on GSM and sexual dysfunction that can occur during and after menopause (in my case, medically induced). Highly recommend this book!
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, Toxic Shock Syndrome (not as big of a risk as I thought!), and hair removal. 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.
Disclosure: I received an advanced copy from Citadel Press in exchange for an honest review.
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.
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.
This book is one for women of all ages.
The author really does give the reader a bible about the female anatomy all clearly explained and easy to understand.
She also clears some of the myths we have come to believe as gospel truths.
Not only does the author enlightens us on the vagina, but also on the vulva, clitoris etc.
All in all , a great reference book to be used frequently and a reminder that knowledge is power.
I was entrusted a copy of this book by Netgalley. The opinions expressed are solely my own.