Vagina Obscura: An Anatomical Voyage
- Downloads：5104
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-12-16 20:21:29
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Rachel E. Gross
- ISBN：1324050535
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Sara
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This was very interesting but sometimes cringingly clinical。 If you have a vagina or love someone who does， this book will remove all mystery。 I liked it overall， but I am rather squeamish so I didn't like some of the medical detail。 This was very interesting but sometimes cringingly clinical。 If you have a vagina or love someone who does， this book will remove all mystery。 I liked it overall， but I am rather squeamish so I didn't like some of the medical detail。 。。。more
Elizabeth Boquet
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Everyone should read this book。 I read a lot about women’s health and about disparities in medical care。 For a layperson， I knew a lot going in。 In the early parts of the book， I wasn’t convinced of its value。 As I continued to read， the evidence of the systematic and structural devaluation of women’s bodies， of bodies worthy of study， of bodies worthy of self-determination， of bodies not deserving of abuse accumulated。 However much you think you know about these issues， however convinced or unc Everyone should read this book。 I read a lot about women’s health and about disparities in medical care。 For a layperson， I knew a lot going in。 In the early parts of the book， I wasn’t convinced of its value。 As I continued to read， the evidence of the systematic and structural devaluation of women’s bodies， of bodies worthy of study， of bodies worthy of self-determination， of bodies not deserving of abuse accumulated。 However much you think you know about these issues， however convinced or unconvinced you already are， you will learn something by the end of this book。 。。。more
Demetrios Georgalas
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three wordsJust love it！
Erin
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Very well-done and eye-opening！ A very good look into the history of the female anatomy and I definitely appreciate the world I live in much more than what women had to put up with。
Therese Brink
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Fascinating read about the female anatomy -its purposes and treatment by the medical profession throughout the ages。I learned a lot by reading this book。 Very fascinating。
Aria
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Fascinating read！ I especially enjoyed the stories about Marie Bonaparte and the journey to understanding female anatomy。
Kelly Kittel
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SUCH an important book that should be read by everyone。 Period。 No pun intended。 Could have been better written， but chock full of interesting history and anatomical information everyone should know。 My hat is off to all who have advanced the science of this book， particularly the female scientists。 As an aside， if， as the author writes in the last chapter regarding gender assignment， a movement is afoot to end surgical genital surgeries before the changee reaches an age of consent， then I certa SUCH an important book that should be read by everyone。 Period。 No pun intended。 Could have been better written， but chock full of interesting history and anatomical information everyone should know。 My hat is off to all who have advanced the science of this book， particularly the female scientists。 As an aside， if， as the author writes in the last chapter regarding gender assignment， a movement is afoot to end surgical genital surgeries before the changee reaches an age of consent， then I certainly hope this will extend to circumcision， which is completely unnecessary and never mentioned。K3 。。。more
Koen
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Backlog: alles wat je nog niet wist over de vrouwelijke geslachtsorganen。 Goed geschreven wetenschapsgeschiedenis。 Natuurlijk blijkt dat ook hier weer dat de vrouw er karig van af komt en dat de kennis enorm achterloopt en lange tijd ondergeschikt werd geacht ten opzichte van de man。 Gelukkig is er de laatste decennia een inhaalslag aan de gang en al die laatste ontwikkelingen worden， samen met de historie， leuk beschreven in dit boek
Faith
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Game changer in regard to knowledge gained， page turner。 I loved the pace of this book， I couldn’t put it down。
Sparrow
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Saw this at an airport bookstore。 An attention-grabbing cover and title。 Well worth the read。
Kathy Farrell
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new and good information
Rosie Malone-Povolny
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super worthwhile read， learned an insane amount。 i just wish there were more diagrams and visuals— feel like that would’ve really helped with understanding。
Jane
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I am nearly 60 years old and was fascinated by this book。 Who knew？
Kelsey Batten
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4。5。 very informative without being dull or making you feel dumb
Cari
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My friend is on the committee for ALA's Carnegie award， and she highly recommended this fascinating book， which is now a finalist for the prize。 Many AFAB people （assigned female at birth） struggle with the toggling of vaginal bacterial and yeast infections， and Gross was the same。 She realized she needed to explore the reality of AFAB bodies， which are often overlooked in a history of science dominated by men。 Gross goes through each piece of the reproductive system's anatomy， bringing little-k My friend is on the committee for ALA's Carnegie award， and she highly recommended this fascinating book， which is now a finalist for the prize。 Many AFAB people （assigned female at birth） struggle with the toggling of vaginal bacterial and yeast infections， and Gross was the same。 She realized she needed to explore the reality of AFAB bodies， which are often overlooked in a history of science dominated by men。 Gross goes through each piece of the reproductive system's anatomy， bringing little-known facts and histories to light。 She discusses difficult topics such as genital mutilation， sterilization， and experimentation that have occurred throughout history and to marginalized people。 Yet there are many positive moments， such as the chapter on gender-reaffirming surgery for trans women。 An immersive and important read。 。。。more
Muhammed Hebala
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Some interesting observations， but not well written。 Sometimes she seems to contradict herself。 I found it disappointing。
Pablo
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Excellent book。。。A book that will educate and frustrate in equal manner。 The advances on the understanding of female sexual anatomy are fascinating; the lack of knowledge is frustrating。 Patriarchy with its supports on misogyny， racism， homophobia and transphobia， creates an environment where women are relegated and constrained to the service of men's needs in reproduction and intercourse。 All research is focused on men's needs。It took until early 2000's to have a medical book that included a fu Excellent book。。。A book that will educate and frustrate in equal manner。 The advances on the understanding of female sexual anatomy are fascinating; the lack of knowledge is frustrating。 Patriarchy with its supports on misogyny， racism， homophobia and transphobia， creates an environment where women are relegated and constrained to the service of men's needs in reproduction and intercourse。 All research is focused on men's needs。It took until early 2000's to have a medical book that included a full description of female's anatomy。 As the author indicates， you cannot find what you are not （willingly） looking for。 。。。more
Jessie
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great science book！
Scott
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What an interesting book！ I read this because it was a selection for the Science Friday Book Club。 Unfortunately， by the time I finished they had moved on， so no discussion forum this time。 I recently read _Bitch_， by Lucy Cooke， and there is a lot that they have in common， with extremely unexpected females in the animal kingdom， which bring into question what it means to be female。 Rachel writes with curiosity and compassion， and each section is interesting and thorough。 My only minor dissatisf What an interesting book！ I read this because it was a selection for the Science Friday Book Club。 Unfortunately， by the time I finished they had moved on， so no discussion forum this time。 I recently read _Bitch_， by Lucy Cooke， and there is a lot that they have in common， with extremely unexpected females in the animal kingdom， which bring into question what it means to be female。 Rachel writes with curiosity and compassion， and each section is interesting and thorough。 My only minor dissatisfaction is that there were no illustrations to help explain what she was talking about， so I will have to look elsewhere to see what the clitoris truly looks like。 I love science books！ 。。。more
A
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There is a lot of re-thinking we have to do in terms of gender and sex。 This book is terrific at laying it out for us in an open and frank way。 There is a lot of re-thinking we have to do in terms of gender and sex。 This book is terrific at laying it out for us in an open and frank way。 。。。more
D D
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Solid， engaging work that is not only informational but a pleasure to read。 I think this is an important book to overcome the ignorance of female anatomy。
Renee Adelle
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There were many things I loved in this book。 Well written， good science。 I wanted more science and less human interest， but I also understand that is what made the book enjoyable for so many people。
Bill
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This is essential reading for everyone - not just women。 This book was published in March of 2022 and it should have been introduced to wider acclaim。 Women's health has， historically， taken a back seat to men's health since time immemorial。 That women's reproductive anatomy has only recently been described accurately is inexcusable。 Also， the author's descriptions of endometriosis are horrific。On a related note， google Jessica Pin and learn her story。 Fortunately， women's reproductive anatomy i This is essential reading for everyone - not just women。 This book was published in March of 2022 and it should have been introduced to wider acclaim。 Women's health has， historically， taken a back seat to men's health since time immemorial。 That women's reproductive anatomy has only recently been described accurately is inexcusable。 Also， the author's descriptions of endometriosis are horrific。On a related note， google Jessica Pin and learn her story。 Fortunately， women's reproductive anatomy is becoming an actual thing in modern medicine。 Better late than never， I reckon。 Read this book！ 。。。more
Kate
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Learned a lot！
Allison
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Interesting and informative for sure。 I appreciated the focus on all the ways that various bodies have been （and in many ways continue to be） discounted as "inferior and imperfect" as compared to those with "typical" male anatomy。 And how women， and even more so non-white women， have paid such a high price for this limited and harmful perspective。**The primary focus on women's ability to reproduce above all else made me especially angry。 Interesting and informative for sure。 I appreciated the focus on all the ways that various bodies have been （and in many ways continue to be） discounted as "inferior and imperfect" as compared to those with "typical" male anatomy。 And how women， and even more so non-white women， have paid such a high price for this limited and harmful perspective。**The primary focus on women's ability to reproduce above all else made me especially angry。 。。。more
rita
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Go read this book。 From the well researched topics， to the personal stories to better explain and contextualize said topics， all the sources and history！！！ Amazing book， I will be coming back for sure， and I think everyone should read this。"。。。 anatomical knowledge doesn’t stay within the academy。 It radiates out along the nerve centers of society， through medicine， politics， and culture。 It is one thing to say that shoddy science has led to incomplete textbooks and insufficient medical educati Go read this book。 From the well researched topics， to the personal stories to better explain and contextualize said topics， all the sources and history！！！ Amazing book， I will be coming back for sure， and I think everyone should read this。"。。。 anatomical knowledge doesn’t stay within the academy。 It radiates out along the nerve centers of society， through medicine， politics， and culture。 It is one thing to say that shoddy science has led to incomplete textbooks and insufficient medical education。 It is another to sit across from someone whose body， whose life， has been shaped by cultural notions of what a woman is and should be—and what medical interventions are appropriate to make her fit that mold。 Bo helped me see what I could not: that the beliefs we share as a society about sex and gender harm all bodies。 Culture， and medicine， shapes bodies。" 。。。more
Kevin
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Open any medical textbook not written in the last five years or so and you will likely see that the vulva， if it is mentioned at all， is referred to by the Latin word pudendum。 If your textbook happens to be in German， you will probably see that the labia is labeled as Schamlippen。 Do you know why？ Do you know why the vulva is labeled “the part you should be ashamed of” and the labia is labeled “the shame lips？” It’s because the original medical texts were all written by dudes， dudes with varyin Open any medical textbook not written in the last five years or so and you will likely see that the vulva， if it is mentioned at all， is referred to by the Latin word pudendum。 If your textbook happens to be in German， you will probably see that the labia is labeled as Schamlippen。 Do you know why？ Do you know why the vulva is labeled “the part you should be ashamed of” and the labia is labeled “the shame lips？” It’s because the original medical texts were all written by dudes， dudes with varying levels of male bias。 Even Hippocrates himself， that paragon of medical practice， based his knowledge of women’s anatomy mainly on descriptions from women who had performed self-examinations。 Is this all a bit unsettling？ “The history of medicine was filled with “fathers”—the father of the C-section， the father of endocrinology， the father of ovariotomy—but， ironically， there were no mothers。”Now I am not going to sit here at my keyboard and pretend to be this well-informed， feminist ally who knew all this pertinent information already。 To be honest， before I read Rachel Gross and Natalie Angier （Woman: An Intimate Geography） I didn’t know my pudendum from my Schamlippen。 For example， I had no idea that the average woman has as much （or more！） erectile tissue as the average man。 （Seriously， the clitoris is like an iceberg！） The only drawback to reading this incredible book， from a strictly heterosexual male perspective， is that I am now incentivized to have sexual congress with the lights on （lab work reinforces coursework） and that， with my current physique， might be a dealbreaker for my lab partner。 。。。more
Boothby
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Deeply researched， insightful， and above all compassionate。 This one is a must read
Nathalie Daudet
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This book was f a s c i n a t i n g， infuriating， and awe-inspiring。 One of the best science writing I’ve read。
Jennifer
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