Blood: The Science, Medicine, and Mythology of Menstruation
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- Create Date：2024-02-21 16:22:05
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Jen Gunter
- ISBN：B0C6RLCY88
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Summary
The New York Times bestselling author， internationally known ob/gyn， and internet superstar who has become the go-to expert for women’s health issues now takes on a topic that affects more than 72 million Americans every month， bashing myths about menstruation and giving readers the knowledge they need to make the best decisions for their bodies。
Most women can expect to have hundreds of periods in a lifetime。 So why is real information so hard to find？ Despite its significance， most education about menstruation focuses either on increasing the chances of pregnancy or preventing it。 And while both are crucial， women deserve to know more about their bodies than just what happens in service to reproduction。 At a time when charlatans， politicians， and even some doctors are succeeding in propagating damaging misinformation and disempowering women， Dr。 Jen provides the antidote with science， myth busting， and no-nonsense facts。
Not knowing how your body works makes it challenging to advocate for yourself。 Consequently， many suffer in silence thinking their bodies are uniquely broken， or they turn to disreputable sources。 Blood is a practical， empowering guide to what’s typical， what’s concerning， and when to seek care—recounted with expertise and frank， fearless wit that have made Dr。 Jen today’s most trusted voice in women’s health。
Dr。 Jen answers all your period-related questions， What exactly happens during menstruation？ How heavy is too heavy？ How much should periods hurt？ and provides essential information about topics such
* The impact of stress and health on the menstrual cycle
* Menstrual migraines， PMS， and period diarrhea （yes， it’s totally normal）
* Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome （PCOS） and fibroids
* Endometriosis and the latest treatments
* The endometrium's （the uterine lining’s） fascinating connection to the immune system
* Different cultural perceptions of menstruation， and how they affect girls and women
* Legitimate menstrual products， and the facts behind toxic shock syndrome
Blood is about much more than biology。 It’s an all-in-one， revolutionary guide that will change the way we think about， talk about—and don’t talk about—our bodies and our well-being。
Most women can expect to have hundreds of periods in a lifetime。 So why is real information so hard to find？ Despite its significance， most education about menstruation focuses either on increasing the chances of pregnancy or preventing it。 And while both are crucial， women deserve to know more about their bodies than just what happens in service to reproduction。 At a time when charlatans， politicians， and even some doctors are succeeding in propagating damaging misinformation and disempowering women， Dr。 Jen provides the antidote with science， myth busting， and no-nonsense facts。
Not knowing how your body works makes it challenging to advocate for yourself。 Consequently， many suffer in silence thinking their bodies are uniquely broken， or they turn to disreputable sources。 Blood is a practical， empowering guide to what’s typical， what’s concerning， and when to seek care—recounted with expertise and frank， fearless wit that have made Dr。 Jen today’s most trusted voice in women’s health。
Dr。 Jen answers all your period-related questions， What exactly happens during menstruation？ How heavy is too heavy？ How much should periods hurt？ and provides essential information about topics such
* The impact of stress and health on the menstrual cycle
* Menstrual migraines， PMS， and period diarrhea （yes， it’s totally normal）
* Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome （PCOS） and fibroids
* Endometriosis and the latest treatments
* The endometrium's （the uterine lining’s） fascinating connection to the immune system
* Different cultural perceptions of menstruation， and how they affect girls and women
* Legitimate menstrual products， and the facts behind toxic shock syndrome
Blood is about much more than biology。 It’s an all-in-one， revolutionary guide that will change the way we think about， talk about—and don’t talk about—our bodies and our well-being。
Reviews
Mandi
，
[Disclaimer: I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest & unbiased review。]What can I say about Blood by Dr。 Gunter？ This book is like the textbook you always wanted in college。 （Or maybe that’s just me。） Yes， it’s full of so much information that at times your eyes might glaze over just the tiniest of bits。 But it is also so incredibly fascinating - with loads of humor and a few rants to boot！ As someone who has been in the field of sexual health for years， p [Disclaimer: I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest & unbiased review。]What can I say about Blood by Dr。 Gunter？ This book is like the textbook you always wanted in college。 （Or maybe that’s just me。） Yes， it’s full of so much information that at times your eyes might glaze over just the tiniest of bits。 But it is also so incredibly fascinating - with loads of humor and a few rants to boot！ As someone who has been in the field of sexual health for years， popular science books on the topic usually disappoint me with their 101 approach。 But Blood， while still written in a way that is very accessible for the novice， digs deeply into each topic。 Dr。 Gunter’s thorough exploration taught me a lot - whether she was rounding out my pre-existing knowledge or informing me about updated research。 My only complaint is that the book might seem a little TOO encompassing， which can feel overwhelming or disjointed at times。 For example: Not only does Blood cover the menstrual cycle， menstrual products， menopause， pelvic exams， hormones， PCOS， and endometriosis… the last 100 pages or so （on my Kindle） were dedicated to contraception & abortion。 And while， yes， Dr。 Gunter does focus a lot on how various methods can affect the menstrual cycle， I almost wish that she would have reserved this chapter for a separate book on contraception。 Not only would that have gotten me excited to read another publication by her， but it also might have freed up some space for the “mythology of menstruation” that the subtitle promises。 As it stands， cultural or historical factoids are mostly relegated to small asides; whereas I would have LOVED a section exclusively dedicated to societal views throughout the ages。 Even with this critique， I think Blood is a book that every individual should read。 It helps folks understand what occurs within the body during the menstrual cycle - and what might potentially be the cause when there are complications。 Blood offers the level of reproductive knowledge that should be taught in our schools but is unfortunately censored， leaving so many people unsure of exactly how and when pregnancy can occur。 。。。more
Laura Slabach
，
Incredibly technical explanations aren't really my cup of tea but if that is the way your brain works this is the book for you。 It was informative and some parts I did find interesting but for a lot of it I found myself zoning out and skipping to the summary at the end of each chapter。 Incredibly technical explanations aren't really my cup of tea but if that is the way your brain works this is the book for you。 It was informative and some parts I did find interesting but for a lot of it I found myself zoning out and skipping to the summary at the end of each chapter。 。。。more
Emma
，
Don’t be fooled by the inane reviews accusing Dr Gunter of “bad science” while promoting “natural” approaches。 Gunter’s message on the subject is simple， and she cites her sources: misinformation on contraceptives and menstruation is not feminism， it is misogyny。 It doesn’t matter how “natural” your misinformation is。 I absolutely loved Blood， though it did take me a while to finish as it's science-heavy。 Honestly， I wish I had access to a book like this when I was growing up （albeit in more acc Don’t be fooled by the inane reviews accusing Dr Gunter of “bad science” while promoting “natural” approaches。 Gunter’s message on the subject is simple， and she cites her sources: misinformation on contraceptives and menstruation is not feminism， it is misogyny。 It doesn’t matter how “natural” your misinformation is。 I absolutely loved Blood， though it did take me a while to finish as it's science-heavy。 Honestly， I wish I had access to a book like this when I was growing up （albeit in more accessible prose; this book is very technical）。 There are so many aspects of menstruation covered here in reassuring and confident language that I didn't know about until my 20s （or until reading this book！） that would have been life-changing for me when I was twelve and experiencing symptoms I didn't understand。 This book discusses everything and doesn't shy away or aim to sanitize the subject matter。 We've got the science of the menstrual cycle， common issues; symptoms; and disorders， contraception， pelvic exams， endometriosis， hormones， pretty much anything you can think of， Dr。 Gunter included it。 The tone stays conversational enough that it's enjoyable to read， although at times it does become slightly dry。 If， like me， you aren't already familiar with physiology and menstruation， there may be a few places where you're wading through words and needing to retain lots of new information。Regardless， Blood is packed with valuable information， scientific sources， and hard truths about the potential dangers of holistic medicine and uninformed choices。 This is a book written by someone with a genuine desire to benefit her readers and their health， and it shows。 I'll be purchasing a physical copy for myself and I highly recommend this for every woman。A sincere thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review！ 。。。more
Patricia
，
This was great！ I learned so much， and it's very accessibly written。 I wish more of this was common knowledge; if I had access to this information as a teen， it would have saved me a lot of stress！ This was great！ I learned so much， and it's very accessibly written。 I wish more of this was common knowledge; if I had access to this information as a teen， it would have saved me a lot of stress！ 。。。more
Laura
，
Good！
Enid Wray
，
Fact filled， interesting and informative。
KK
，
Written with such a leftist social agenda。 I would hate for this woman to be my doctor。 She's of the "people who menstruate" school of thought and thinks "feminine products" is an offensive term。 It's offensive to all women to suggest "men" fall into these categories。 Written with such a leftist social agenda。 I would hate for this woman to be my doctor。 She's of the "people who menstruate" school of thought and thinks "feminine products" is an offensive term。 It's offensive to all women to suggest "men" fall into these categories。 。。。more
Susan Elizabetha
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Excellent book。 Information is clear and concise。 Knowledge every young women should read and learn。 If I had a daughter I would begin by reading this book with her。 And having a open and honest discussion。 And encourage her to keep as a reference。It took me a lot of time to get through this book。 I know of several women who had painful and excessive menstruation every month。 I was lucky and didn't have this monthly pain。Thank you to Penguin Random House for this advanced reading copy。 Excellent book。 Information is clear and concise。 Knowledge every young women should read and learn。 If I had a daughter I would begin by reading this book with her。 And having a open and honest discussion。 And encourage her to keep as a reference。It took me a lot of time to get through this book。 I know of several women who had painful and excessive menstruation every month。 I was lucky and didn't have this monthly pain。Thank you to Penguin Random House for this advanced reading copy。 。。。more
Kristen
，
Blood is a wealth of information for anyone who has owned a uterus。 I know I will be returning to this book again in the future。 A very serious thank you to Dr。 Gunter for her thoughtful use of language around gender。 It was a breath of fresh air。
Michaela
，
Well written but super dense and lots of information！！ I feel like I know 80% more on reproductive care and periods than I ever did。
T
，
It’s a chonker， but it’s needed。 Read for the chapters on abortion alone and be prepared to be ENRAGED over what the Supreme Court and politicians did （and are still doing） in the US。 Because， yes， as Dr。 Gunter sagely pointed out， abortion is part and parcel of the menstrual cycle。 And PS abortion is healthcare。 The risk of dying from a legal abortion in the United States is 0。41 in 100，000 pregnancies。 It is much safer to have an abortion at any gestational age than to be pregnant， especially It’s a chonker， but it’s needed。 Read for the chapters on abortion alone and be prepared to be ENRAGED over what the Supreme Court and politicians did （and are still doing） in the US。 Because， yes， as Dr。 Gunter sagely pointed out， abortion is part and parcel of the menstrual cycle。 And PS abortion is healthcare。 The risk of dying from a legal abortion in the United States is 0。41 in 100，000 pregnancies。 It is much safer to have an abortion at any gestational age than to be pregnant， especially in the United States， which has an egregiously high rate of maternal mortality。 The risk of death during pregnancy includes up to one year after birth， and in the United States it is a shocking 23。8/100，000 pregnancies—19。1/100，000 for non-Hispanic White people， 18。2/100，000 for Hispanic people， and a devastating 55。5/100，000 for non-Hispanic Black people。 On average， the risk of death during pregnancy is fifty-eight times greater than the risk of dying from a legal abortion。It is always safer to have an abortion than to be pregnant， even in countries with lower maternal mortality。 For example， maternal mortality is 3。2/100，000 in Germany。 It’s absurd that there are laws in some countries restricting abortion but no laws anywhere against impregnating someone。 People who seek to deny access to abortion are not pro-life， they are forced-birthers。Medical abortion is safer than acetaminophen， and in the first trimester， a procedure abortion is as safe as a colonoscopy。 。。。more
Kendra Hamilton
，
DNF。 Was interesting but more of a social piece than information。 Found pieces to be repetitive and boring
Nicole
，
I am a health care professional， and this book filled so many knowledge gaps that I didn't even know that I had。 The medical education system woefully underprepares professionals for providing health care to women。 In this book， Dr。 Jen Gunter manages to highlight how the patriarchy has ignored women's health and nudge the reader to action， all while educating in an entertaining voice。 I am a health care professional， and this book filled so many knowledge gaps that I didn't even know that I had。 The medical education system woefully underprepares professionals for providing health care to women。 In this book， Dr。 Jen Gunter manages to highlight how the patriarchy has ignored women's health and nudge the reader to action， all while educating in an entertaining voice。 。。。more
Kira
，
I received this book in exchange for a honest review from NetGalley。I absolutely loved this book！ I think it should be required reading for all humans。 I think if people had a better grasp on menstruation and contraception we would be better for it。 There is such a stigma in America about talking about periods and "women's problems" that many people have no idea about the way that these mechanisms work。 As someone with PCOS the chapter on it was eye opening。 It put all of the things that I have I received this book in exchange for a honest review from NetGalley。I absolutely loved this book！ I think it should be required reading for all humans。 I think if people had a better grasp on menstruation and contraception we would be better for it。 There is such a stigma in America about talking about periods and "women's problems" that many people have no idea about the way that these mechanisms work。 As someone with PCOS the chapter on it was eye opening。 It put all of the things that I have worked for years to learn in one chapter that I can share with people who I love who need to understand better。 I love that she is a huge advocate for understanding that women do not need to have a period in the modern day and that if having a period is incompatible with your life for whatever reason it is ok to reach out to your healthcare provider and ask for birth control where you skip the placebo days！ This book is a boon to anyone who reads it！ For people who menstruate it explains their body and options and for people who don't menstruate it helps them understand the people in there lives who do menstruate！ 。。。more
Cait Clarke
，
Not to be dramatic but one of the most important books I ever read。 I truly wished I had this book to read during the first couple years of having a period， it would’ve helped so much。 I truly think anyone who has issues with menstruation and/or just wants to know more about it should read it！
Nicole
，
Dr Jen Gunter does it again！ What a great summary of a very important topic！ Every teen girl should read this book！ Not a ton of new information for me but there was a few good points。 I like Dr Gunters straightforward and funny approach！
Miguel
，
I didn't want to mark this as DNF， but I have to state that I did skip certain parts of this。 But overall， especially the first few chapters， I found to be very informative and was duly impressed by the coverage on menopause。 Gunter has very strong opinions on certain topics which is fine but some might find them off-putting。 Only skipped chapters where they did seem to be only applicable to those with a uterus such as on certain venereal diseases。 But the science-forward attitude and informatio I didn't want to mark this as DNF， but I have to state that I did skip certain parts of this。 But overall， especially the first few chapters， I found to be very informative and was duly impressed by the coverage on menopause。 Gunter has very strong opinions on certain topics which is fine but some might find them off-putting。 Only skipped chapters where they did seem to be only applicable to those with a uterus such as on certain venereal diseases。 But the science-forward attitude and information were very appreciated。 。。。more
Ebbs
，
I think this book is going to be great for （mostly cis） women who have grown up with very little discussion or education about their own bodies and health， who are casual-to-moderate users of social media。 With the caveat of 'I’m A Cis Woman'， this book overall felt reasonably trans-inclusive， with the introduction saying “Not all women menstruate， and not everyone who menstruates is a woman。 Women born without a uterus， trans women， women who have had a hysterectomy， and women who no longer men I think this book is going to be great for （mostly cis） women who have grown up with very little discussion or education about their own bodies and health， who are casual-to-moderate users of social media。 With the caveat of 'I’m A Cis Woman'， this book overall felt reasonably trans-inclusive， with the introduction saying “Not all women menstruate， and not everyone who menstruates is a woman。 Women born without a uterus， trans women， women who have had a hysterectomy， and women who no longer menstruate because of medical conditions or menopause are all women。 Some trans men and gender nonbinary people menstruate。” But like， I’ve learned loads of Cool Biology Facts™ about HRT just from having trans friends， and basically none of those cool facts came up in this book。Gunter very much wants everyone to be less weird about vaginas and periods， and I support that mission！ although I’ve never really had shame about my period， or ~being a woman~， so a lot of the radical acceptance stuff wasn't as impactful for me。 She very much also is subjected to the worst parts of social media where extremely harmful and unethical shit is going on all the time and she desperately wants people to be better informed about their own bodies， so they don’t fall for Gwyneth Paltrow-esque scammers latest money making scam to trick vulnerable women into taking unsafe， expensive supplements to ~balance their yonic energy~ or whatever。 But I think you have to be just the right amount of ~online~ to get the intended message。 Because otherwise， you’ll be left assuming that she’s talking about people who like， take multi-vitamins， and her vitriol for dangerous scammers is going to come out of nowhere。 Or you’ve seen way worse and are like， yeah， yeah the horrors of living in late-stage capitalism， we’ve all seen it。The biggest problem I had with this book mainly center around the feeling that Gunter still has a lot of anti-fat bias she hasn’t dealt with yet。 She is not fatphobic the way so many doctors are， but she straight up says that one possible way to better manage the symptoms from PCOS is weight loss （PCOS famously makes it hard to loss weight， btw）， and you could try the new weight-loss medications， or bariatric surgery。 Doctors who push weight loss medication on people instantly become much less credible to me， and it’s only a matter of time before these pills end up being one of those “oops we super fucked up” bullet-points in medical history， so I was very disappointed。 And then multiple times throughout the book she states that people who’ve had bariatric surgery can’t take NSAIDs to manage their painful periods， OR hormonal birth control！ So why would you ever suggest it for someone with PCOS？ Overall， I think this book does a lot of demystify periods， and make them less of a secret shameful gross thing that Shan’t Be Discussed， and that’s important and good， but there’s just so much other cool stuff about periods regarding human biology， and history and culture， and only a small part got covered。 I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Joanne
，
I was excited about this book， it was an ok read about the science of puberty， menstruation and its accompanied problems and how the subject is still steeped in patriarchy。 Lots of pages about contraception。 The author clearly dislikes homeopathic medicine and mentions it repeatedly。 I'm an RN and I believe that homeopathic practices can complement traditional medicine and as long as it's not harmful or $$$ I don't see the harm。 I would have liked to have seen more about the culture of menstruat I was excited about this book， it was an ok read about the science of puberty， menstruation and its accompanied problems and how the subject is still steeped in patriarchy。 Lots of pages about contraception。 The author clearly dislikes homeopathic medicine and mentions it repeatedly。 I'm an RN and I believe that homeopathic practices can complement traditional medicine and as long as it's not harmful or $$$ I don't see the harm。 I would have liked to have seen more about the culture of menstruation all over the world。 。。。more
Dominique
，
This book is full of great information。 I struggled a bit at times because it felt so heavy， but the author does a great job of presenting information without getting into the weeds。 She is very knowledgeable and gives sound scientific information and advice。
Kaitlyn
，
This book is DENSE and science heavy。 It’s not a book you sit down and read through for enjoyment。 But it’s a great reference material and I learned so much。
Kara Bailey
，
Very scientific and well researched。 It's interesting to know what's normal and what's not and better understand hormones and how to approach them Very scientific and well researched。 It's interesting to know what's normal and what's not and better understand hormones and how to approach them 。。。more
Andrea
，
This is an incredible， comprehensive， no nonsense， science backed look at everything you could possibly want to know about menstruation。 It also manages to be amusing at times。 It will be so empowering for everyone who menstruates to have access to the information in this book。 So many myths are dispelled， patriarchal viewpoints ripped apart， and anti-science stances countered。 I did not read this book cover to cover and skipped parts I already felt well informed about。 But even as a woman in my This is an incredible， comprehensive， no nonsense， science backed look at everything you could possibly want to know about menstruation。 It also manages to be amusing at times。 It will be so empowering for everyone who menstruates to have access to the information in this book。 So many myths are dispelled， patriarchal viewpoints ripped apart， and anti-science stances countered。 I did not read this book cover to cover and skipped parts I already felt well informed about。 But even as a woman in my 40s who has menstruated for 3 decades I learned some things， especially about the often horrifying history of medical care for women。 This book is inclusive。 It does not assume that all menstruating people are women or that everyone with a uterus menstruates。I will ensure my daughter has a copy of this so she can eventually be armed with all the information she could possibly need to understand menstruation and to advocate for medical support where necessary。 As soon as I finished this I bought Dr。 Gunter's book on menopause which is going to be more relevant to me at this point in my life。 。。。more
Jan
，
Excellent handbook for anyone with uterus and ovaries。 In a time when some think that everyone is aware of what goes on with the body of someone in possession of those definitive body parts， there are still some sects and other nationalities that believe that menstruation is a curse and that those who do so must absolutely be segregated from everyone during the time of bleeding。 Even "enlightened" people have no idea that their bleeding experiences are not universal。 The information covers so ma Excellent handbook for anyone with uterus and ovaries。 In a time when some think that everyone is aware of what goes on with the body of someone in possession of those definitive body parts， there are still some sects and other nationalities that believe that menstruation is a curse and that those who do so must absolutely be segregated from everyone during the time of bleeding。 Even "enlightened" people have no idea that their bleeding experiences are not universal。 The information covers so many aspects that it must be read to appreciate its scope。It is an excellent teaching tool in private or in groups， and would be a good gift for many and especially your local public library。 I requested and received an EARC from Kensington Books， Citadel via NetGalley。 Thank you！ 。。。more
Hannah
，
Thoroughly enjoyed this。 Learned a ton。 I love accessible science or pop science books and this was very much that。 Reproduction is insane how are we even here。
Katie
，
Thorough， interesting， and entertainingly written overview of menstruation。 Dr。 Gunter writes like she would be a fun person to have as a professor。*I received a free ARC of this book。 Still didn't finish reading it before the release date。 🤷♀️ Thorough， interesting， and entertainingly written overview of menstruation。 Dr。 Gunter writes like she would be a fun person to have as a professor。*I received a free ARC of this book。 Still didn't finish reading it before the release date。 🤷♀️ 。。。more
Steve
，
I loved this book。 The tone is conversational and the explanations of very complex phenomena are crystal-clear。 Dr。 Gunter’s use of humour and excellent analogies had me enthralled from the beginning of the book through to the end。 Another great strength of the book was the debunking of pseudoscience。 I also loved that Dr。 Gunter spoke from personal experience and I thank her for sharing。 Kudos also to Lisa A Clark for the great illustrations。 Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Canada for t I loved this book。 The tone is conversational and the explanations of very complex phenomena are crystal-clear。 Dr。 Gunter’s use of humour and excellent analogies had me enthralled from the beginning of the book through to the end。 Another great strength of the book was the debunking of pseudoscience。 I also loved that Dr。 Gunter spoke from personal experience and I thank her for sharing。 Kudos also to Lisa A Clark for the great illustrations。 Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Canada for the advance reader copy。 。。。more
Elizabeth Mellen
，
Thanks to Netgalley， Kensington， and Highbridge Audio for the eARC and audioARC of this！ I switched back and forth between formats， but definitely favored the audio， the narration was well done。 This was an interesting look at some aspects of menstruation。 The author made references to her earlier books， that I think I will need to pick up as well。 It wasn’t too dry， but it wasn’t as snarky & conversational as I tend to prefer non-fiction to be。
Nataliya
，
Let’s get it right from the start — menstruation has nothing to do with any sort of “feminine mystique。” It’s not to be glorified or vilified — but it should be understood and dealt with if it impacts people’s lives。———Menstruation is the fact of life for most of us who have uteruses and fall in the certain age category。 And it’s fascinating and sometimes horrifying how much significance this fact of life has had in the societal consciousness through the recorded lifespan of humanity。 Menstruati Let’s get it right from the start — menstruation has nothing to do with any sort of “feminine mystique。” It’s not to be glorified or vilified — but it should be understood and dealt with if it impacts people’s lives。———Menstruation is the fact of life for most of us who have uteruses and fall in the certain age category。 And it’s fascinating and sometimes horrifying how much significance this fact of life has had in the societal consciousness through the recorded lifespan of humanity。 Menstruation was - and are still now， somehow - viewed along extremes that range anywhere from making a woman clean， evil or unclean to being the mystical magical vents that keep women in touch with Mother Nature （and a fact that even in my cynicism did not know - the belief that ”menstrual blood can be used as a face mask to treat acne because it has stem cells and special “healing” chemicals”）。 Girls are taught - and then continue to believe it as adult women - that suffering is ok， and that at all costs we should avoid the EvilHormones （TM） that god forbid may bring relief from the cycles and -anathema to many of those who’d prefer to keep women in check - prevent pregnancy and forced birth。 Dr。 Jen Gunter doesn’t appear to tolerate such foolishness。 “I find it unacceptable that people aren’t given vital information about how the body works，” she states， and works on dispelling the myths and misinformation by providing 400-plus pages of no-nonsense well-researched and credible medical information written very informatively and yet very accessibly， but while not cutting any slack for those who spread misinformation， be it influencers or politicians or those who benefit from selling supplements using misleading and often blatantly wrong claims。 “Unfortunately， some corners of the Internet that promote what I call Big Natural Menstruation—sites that are often inhabited by naturopaths， period coaches， and others who sell unregulated supplements to fix “broken” periods—have corrupted the messaging about menstruation as a vital sign into a false narrative that you can’t possibly know how healthy you are if you are taking hormonal contraception and not having what I can only describe as a RealPeriod（TM）。”———“It’s always amazing to me how the people who fearmonger about modern medicine negatively affecting the menstrual cycle are usually promoting some type of unstudied supplement or botanical。” Dr。 Jen Gunter doesn’t appear to be the one who bought into the mystic nonsense of magical power of menstrual cycle。 She doesn’t sugarcoat her message， delivering medical facts in the straightforward approach without talking down to the reader or talking over the reader’s head and promotes the common sense idea that people who are well-informed about their bodies and why’s and how’s of its works can make truly informed decisions about what’s best for them without reliance on sensationalism， mysticism or profitable untruths。 She does not believe in infantilizing women。 “When these people say “You can only properly track your health if you don’t take the pill，” I hear “We’re totally okay if you get endometrial cancer as a result of your irregular ovulation and lack of progesterone” or “It’s fine that you suffer from terrible cramps once a cycle” or “If you get pregnant， it’s your own fault。”————“It’s true， in ancient medicine vaginal steaming was used as a therapy 。 。 。 by practitioners who thought the uterus wandered around the body。 If you accept vaginal steaming， you must also accept the belief system on which it is based， including some less-Instagram-friendly recipes。 Think a disemboweled puppy stuffed with herbs and then burned for its smoke to fumigate the uterus。”————“Providing disinformation about contraception is not feminism; it is misogyny。” Think of this book as an incredibly approachable popular medicine （by analogy with “popular science”） that is actually written by a very well-informed and experienced specialist in her field with real information。 It’s not really an easy reading （unless you happen to be a gynecologist） but it’s worth reading it and processing the actual information （and not doing what I did and venturing over to Gyno Etsy， although Tammy the Tampon crocheted doll may at some point somehow end up on my bookshelf 😅）。5 stars and a sincere recommendation to read this book。 I will be checking out Dr。 Gunter’s other books soon because if this one is anything to go by， they will be worth it。 “Condoms are a barrier method of contraception， meaning they block sperm。 They appear in Greek mythology in the story of King Minos （son of Zeus， and the king of Crete）， who apparently ejaculated “serpents and scorpions，” which sounds terribly painful for Minos and was apparently so potent that it killed several of his mistresses。 The answer was an animal gallbladder or bladder that went in his wife’s vagina or on the scorpion-spewing penis itself， depending on the version of the story。”Those Ancient Greeks and their “adorable” wandering uterus ideas， and now this。 I swear… ———— ——————Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books， Citadel for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review。——————Also posted on my blog。 。。。more
Lena
，
Alright， so I was initially stoked to read "Blood"。 I mean， the topic of menstruation is super important， and she's usually spot on。But after checking more summaries about the topic， like "The Period Repair Manual" in Snackz。ai， I realised: The book tries to debunk myths and offer science-backed facts about menstruation， which sounds cool at first， but it kinda felt like it missed the neutral， scientific vibe I was expecting。 🤔 It dives into topics like menstrual health and choices surrounding i Alright， so I was initially stoked to read "Blood"。 I mean， the topic of menstruation is super important， and she's usually spot on。But after checking more summaries about the topic， like "The Period Repair Manual" in Snackz。ai， I realised: The book tries to debunk myths and offer science-backed facts about menstruation， which sounds cool at first， but it kinda felt like it missed the neutral， scientific vibe I was expecting。 🤔 It dives into topics like menstrual health and choices surrounding it， which is great， but the take on things like alternative medicine and abortion。。。 not so much。 🙅♀️ Kinda got the vibe that it was more opinionated than educational。 。。。more
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blood the science medicine and mythology of menstruation jen gunter blood the science medicine and mythology of menstruation blood the science medicine and mythology of menstruation by dr jennifer gunter