The Menopause Manifesto: Own Your Health with Facts and Feminism
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- Create Date：2021-05-16 21:31:21
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Jen Gunter
- ISBN：B08GYBZNMR
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Donna Hines
，
First and foremost I must say， "Thank you" to Dr。 Jen Gunter and the publisher for providing this ARC that I enjoyed reading on my 48th birthday。I can't think of a better book to read on this special day then one as important as this concerning women's health。This was extremely well written and discussed many important aspects and questions surrounding pre and post menopause and what every women should know concerning both。It was discussed in a manner that was clear， precise， and accurately depi First and foremost I must say， "Thank you" to Dr。 Jen Gunter and the publisher for providing this ARC that I enjoyed reading on my 48th birthday。I can't think of a better book to read on this special day then one as important as this concerning women's health。This was extremely well written and discussed many important aspects and questions surrounding pre and post menopause and what every women should know concerning both。It was discussed in a manner that was clear， precise， and accurately depicted with illustrations， charts， and graphs that provided the extra sense of security and support。As a woman who is closing in on my 50's with severe microcytic hypochromic anemia do to heavy menses， that I knew this was not only necessary but needed reading。 I've suffered all my life from a variety of medical issues including vertigo， severe anemia， severe spinal stenosis， 20 yrs。 of pneumonia， allergies， asthma， COPD， chronic bronchitis （non smoker）， and much， much， more。I've had three children with the first being a placental abruption with massive blood loss and blood clots requiring an emergency c-section with life flight for my 5 week early son born with vater syndrome。 My two other children were also high risk and with complications from SUA （single umbilical artery causing low birth weight） to a more simple case of jaundice。Everything you can imagine I've had and or have had to endure so this book was a much welcome change to finally set the record straight。As a woman my doctors operate from a 'monopoly' and with my extreme poverty status my medical is fully covered by the state but unfortunately， the care I receive is horrific。I'm not always understood， I'm mocked and mimicked， I'm not taken seriously and in many cases I'm ostracized as my complaints go back thirty years and good luck trying to get answers when you have doctors who think acute bronchitis is not chronic bronchitis and you have to argue for them to change the status on your file。It's ludicrous that when I go in for something basic like a lung test that I'm told I'm tangent in thoughts when I have a history of misdiagnosis with ten minutes of time to discuss the repeating cycle of issues that has yet to be resolved。So， for the ladies out there I can empathize with you and I know having filed a written complaint to my hospital over the mistreatment that it's not easy to have your voices heard and or be taken seriously。When all you want is answers to resolve the issues and all you get is B。S。 it's exhausting。However， Jen Gunter is here to give us those answers and thankfully she does in mighty fashion。For example， did you know if you skip two periods of your menstrual cycle in a row that you're 95% final period will happen within the next 4 years？Did you know that genetics， smoking， dietary， hormones， underlying issues such as HIV or auto immune can all play a part in your current situation？The more kids you have the later your menopause may occur which is quite interesting。Estrogen and hormonal treatments were also in full display for discussion which was extraordinary to read and understand in this format presented。Due to my severe anemia I was given b12 injections and iron infusions and was having additional headaches with weight gain。 I had made the decisions to forego them both because of the medical issues that were resulting。Upon reading this book I noticed that B12 injections have small amounts of aluminum which is the top reason many refuse vaccinations today。All of this and more is in this book and I couldn't be more proud to have read this gem。 It should be on every woman's table as a 'go-to-help-guide'。 。。。more
Judi
，
This should be required reading for every woman of the menopausal age spectrum。 I will recommemd it to all of my female friends。 Filled with so much information， and presents many different options for treatment， while also giving honest truths about the pluses and risks of each option。 Very informative。
JP
，
This book is very straight forward and told in a relaxing text which put me at ease。 I’ve been looking for ANYTHING that would be helpful to help me understand what was happening and how to try to manage my symptoms。 The author says， this book was created so that we （as women） can better advocate for ourselves and become more educated about our medical needs and choices。 I can not express enough how much， if you’re a women that you need to read this！ I’ve ordered two copies myself because I’m gi This book is very straight forward and told in a relaxing text which put me at ease。 I’ve been looking for ANYTHING that would be helpful to help me understand what was happening and how to try to manage my symptoms。 The author says， this book was created so that we （as women） can better advocate for ourselves and become more educated about our medical needs and choices。 I can not express enough how much， if you’re a women that you need to read this！ I’ve ordered two copies myself because I’m giving one as a gift！ This is a life changer。 Ive been menopausal for three years and nothings been as helpful or as informative as this book。 I also want to say that this isn’t just about menopause but a lot of other women’s issues。 Dr Gunter carefully examines and explains the issue。 Then she shares ALL of my available options。 Hot flashes， memory， depression and osteoporosis were my favorite topics。 I could go on forever so I’m just going to list some things about the book。 I highly recommend this。 You won’t be sorry。 The book discussed symptoms such as: t•tAbnormal bleeding t•tHot flashes t•tNight flashes t•tSleep disturbancet•tBrain Fog （cognitive changes）t•tJoint painAlong with medical conditions such as:t•tHeart disease t•tOsteoporosis t•tDementiat•tAlzheimer’s t•tDepression t•tMetabolic syndrome t•tDiabetest•tUTIThanks Citadel Press， HighBridge Audio via Netgalley。 Quotes from the book: “If menopause were on Yelp it would have one star。”“Menopause is puberty in reverse。” 。。。more
PL
，
This book is a detailed， practical， heavily researched， and far reaching guide to menopause and all the life changes that occur adjacent to that transition。 It is dense with information， detail oriented， heavily focused on the science and the reality of the menopause transition。 There are anecdotes and examples that ring true。 The author has a clear and confident voice， erudite but approachable。 You feel like she is talking directly to you。 The author comes to this as a physician specializing i This book is a detailed， practical， heavily researched， and far reaching guide to menopause and all the life changes that occur adjacent to that transition。 It is dense with information， detail oriented， heavily focused on the science and the reality of the menopause transition。 There are anecdotes and examples that ring true。 The author has a clear and confident voice， erudite but approachable。 You feel like she is talking directly to you。 The author comes to this as a physician specializing in women's health， gynecology， menopause。 Her dedication to patient autonomy and holistic decision making is evident throughout。 I appreciated the references， the studies references， the distillation of data into understandable language。 I am a physician myself and the level of detail and studies referenced was education and comforting。 This is a subject that is often discussed about in pejorative or dismissive terms， if at all。。 This book takes that as a challenge and presents menopause as a whole; providing a frame and a reference as well as a roadmap on what to expect and what the current medical research shows。 This book covers it all--from history， to hormone replacement， dietary guidelines， details on symptomatology， treatment options， and the vast array of less studied options that garner headlines without having the scientific backup。 She provides information to help readers make their own informed choices and also highlights red flags when seeking treatment and researching options。 I would recommend this book to any woman， at any age， as a valuable reference for issues that at some point will affect us all。 Overall it was well-written， approachable and informative。 The copy I received is an ARC from Netgalley and there were occasional typographic errors as might be expected from a draft copy of a book。 This did not hinder my readIng。 Highly recommended。 My thanks to Netgalley for this ARC。 Overall rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 。。。more
Purple Lorikeet
，
A year or two ago， The Vagina Bible was recommended to me and I immediately downloaded it。 I will admit I hadn't read very far into it yet but I liked what I saw。 When this book was offered on Netgalley， I immediately requested and hoped very much to be accepted。 Fortunately， I did get the okay and I've been reading it over the past few weeks。 Growing up， I used to hear about menopause and my impression was it encompassed not just the final menstrual period but the time leading up to it。 Many ye A year or two ago， The Vagina Bible was recommended to me and I immediately downloaded it。 I will admit I hadn't read very far into it yet but I liked what I saw。 When this book was offered on Netgalley， I immediately requested and hoped very much to be accepted。 Fortunately， I did get the okay and I've been reading it over the past few weeks。 Growing up， I used to hear about menopause and my impression was it encompassed not just the final menstrual period but the time leading up to it。 Many years later， I discovered the more correct term for the years leading up to menopause is perimenopause， which kind of changed the way I looked at it。 Dr。 Gunter refers to this period as menopause transition， a term that I haven't seen before but reflects it far better。 The book starts out by presenting menopause as a part of normal life instead of as a disease that renders women incomplete。 This leads to a history lesson in the understanding of menopause and how it has led to poor treatment of women in the past and even in modern times。 Although it seems to be a harsh view， the reality is probably better reflected here than in most resources on women's health。 The first two chapters certainly opened my eyes to how badly this normal phase of a woman's life has been addressed through the ages。 The rest of part one covers biological aspects of menopause， along with views of the evolutionary advantages of menopause， and information on its timing。 Part two addresses the symptoms and goes into considerable detail on cardiovascular， bone， and bladder health。 It also addresses brain fog， abnormal bleeding， sex， and sleep issues occurring during menopause。 Part three addresses treatment， with most attention on MHT （menopausal hormone therapy） but also information on "alternative" treatments that are available。 At the end， there are several tables included， most of which look at treatments available。。 The information presented is comprehensive and doesn't gloss over much。 I will point out that the book is written with a US-centric view and so information is based on the standards and terminology there。 I don't say this so much as criticism as something it's important to know if you live elsewhere。 One of the major takeaways of this book for me is that women should never allow health care providers to brush off symptoms because they are typical for women in menopause。 Just because a symptom is common in menopause doesn't mean it's not important now。 And some of these issues may be just the beginning of long-term problems that need to be addressed earlier to be most effective。 Another big takeaway for me is that an entire industry has been made to make profits off women looking for treatment。 And most of them are not proven effective。 This one isn't a surprise for me but it did show me how pervasive it is in modern society。 Also， I really liked the way Dr。 Gunter points out that any treatment， conventional or not， needs testing to prove effectiveness。 After all， if it proves effective， it would be considered medical treatment。 The last takeaway that I'd like to mention is the focus on cardiovascular and bone health。 Women are at much higher risk of both once they reach menopause and it's heavily promoted that a benefit/risk analysis should be done for each woman to determine if MHT or other treatment is needed in menopause。 It doesn't try to say that any choice is the correct one but that it should be determined case by case。 I found this an incredibly useful book and think it should be essential reading for women approaching menopause transition or even already there。 As a woman who reached menopause in recent years， there was still information that was quite useful and it has prompted a couple future discussions with my doctor。 I highly recommend it and give this a solid four stars。 Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for sharing an advanced reader copy in exchange for a fair review。 。。。more
Cj
，
#GoodreadsGiveaway #TheMenopauseManifesto #AdvanceCopy I received a free copy （advanced） via goodreads Giveaways。 This review， is in progress （until book finished date）。 The reason for this， is because I want to gather my thoughts with the chapters。 Also， it may take me a moment to read the book （I usually read at night）。 As lovely as it is to read printed， physical books （I also miss the backlighting associated with kindle version）。 I don't know， if it was the foreword， or the first chapter？ Bu #GoodreadsGiveaway #TheMenopauseManifesto #AdvanceCopy I received a free copy （advanced） via goodreads Giveaways。 This review， is in progress （until book finished date）。 The reason for this， is because I want to gather my thoughts with the chapters。 Also， it may take me a moment to read the book （I usually read at night）。 As lovely as it is to read printed， physical books （I also miss the backlighting associated with kindle version）。 I don't know， if it was the foreword， or the first chapter？ But， it already has me emotional。 The words， "medical neglect" and the description of， "it's not that bad。" It takes ten years， to diagnose endometriosis！ This is， unacceptable！ And I did experience the， "oh， I wouldn't worry about that。" Or， "you are still young。" Like， I would feign something for attention？ Or， that I don't know something is wrong？ I'm already appreciating this book， because even though I am experiencing all of this。 It does still feel like one of life's great mysteries。 No one really explains menopause。 It's just not a subject that's up for discussion。 Yeah， you have your annuals & checks （required medications）。 But there is still just too many questions， that are left unanswered。 I am sincerely looking forward to taking this book in。 It's informational。 I feel like， it's come to me。。。 when， maybe I needed it most？ 。。。more
Andrew
，
Some very interesting facts。
Angelina
，
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。 Menopause Manifesto is a book that should be in every woman's bookshelf。 Dr。 Gunter presents the information in a way that feels like one your best girlfriends is talking with you and sharing super valuable tips; her experience as an OB/GYN only adds to the book。 As a woman who is peri-menopausal， I learned a lot about my body and found the book to be reassuring as well as informativ Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。 Menopause Manifesto is a book that should be in every woman's bookshelf。 Dr。 Gunter presents the information in a way that feels like one your best girlfriends is talking with you and sharing super valuable tips; her experience as an OB/GYN only adds to the book。 As a woman who is peri-menopausal， I learned a lot about my body and found the book to be reassuring as well as informative about other strategies I might explore with diet， MHT， etc。 I think this book would be helpful for women approaching perimenopause， those in menopause， and even for their partners/loved ones to better understand what the woman-of-a-certain age in their life is going through。Highly recommend！ 。。。more
Beth Cato
，
I received an advance edition of this book via NetGalley。"Apparently there is nothing of lower value than an aging woman's body， and many in our society treat menopause not as a phase of life， but rather as a phase of death。 Sort of a pre-death。"Jen Gunter confronts the subject of menopause through a distinctly matter-of-fact， feminist view in her book The Menopause Manifesto。 She is an OB/GYN with decades of experience in her field， but also speaks from personal experience， having recently gone I received an advance edition of this book via NetGalley。"Apparently there is nothing of lower value than an aging woman's body， and many in our society treat menopause not as a phase of life， but rather as a phase of death。 Sort of a pre-death。"Jen Gunter confronts the subject of menopause through a distinctly matter-of-fact， feminist view in her book The Menopause Manifesto。 She is an OB/GYN with decades of experience in her field， but also speaks from personal experience， having recently gone through 'the change' herself。 As a person of 41 years， most definitely in perimenopause， I found her perspective refreshing。 She discusses subjects like sex， bleeding， and hot flashes in blunt terms， and confronts the immense misinformation put forth by the media and lousy doctors。 She brings in the history behind the very term and idea of menopause。The book isn't always an easy read。 While the subject is always interesting， some stretches were a bit dry。 This wasn't something I could sit and read straight through， but in patches here and there。 I found tremendous value in her words。 Her humor is wry and witty， and her attitude wonderfully positive。 For example， she points out， "Fat-phobia among health care providers has caused many women with hot flushes and night sweats to be dismissed。 'If you'd just lose weight' isn't appropriate medical therapy nor is it compassionate， and the horrible implication is some women deserve their symptoms。" PREACH IT， JEN。My gosh， but I wish I'd had a doctor like her early in my life。 I wish I had a doctor like her now！ I have a feeling that I will be returning to this book many， many times in the coming years。 。。。more
Dana Goldstein
，
Advance reader copy supplied by NetGalley in exchange for review。The Menopause Manifesto is a comprehensive look at the stage of life every woman goes through。 The book has enormous value for someone who has not yet gone through menopause or is in the early stages peri-menopause and trying to sort out what is happening。If you have read Dr。 Gunter's The Vagina Bible， then you are already familiar with the author's feminist point of view。 While I commend Dr。 Gunter for being a voice and advocate f Advance reader copy supplied by NetGalley in exchange for review。The Menopause Manifesto is a comprehensive look at the stage of life every woman goes through。 The book has enormous value for someone who has not yet gone through menopause or is in the early stages peri-menopause and trying to sort out what is happening。If you have read Dr。 Gunter's The Vagina Bible， then you are already familiar with the author's feminist point of view。 While I commend Dr。 Gunter for being a voice and advocate for women， her constant repetition of the influence of patriarchy and the role of misogyny- not only in medicine， but in society as well - was distracting。 I agree that medicine has not been kind and considerate to women and there are still gaping holes in the research and treatment of women's health， and it's important that Dr。 Gunter point this out。 Perhaps just a little bit less frequently。The book is well-divided， making it easy to keep this on the shelf as a reference book。 Part one discusses the history and physiology of menopause and gives readers a deep look into the reproductive system。 Part two digs into the symptoms， what to expect and treatment options。 It is in Part two that Dr。 Gunter assures women that what you are experiencing is common， but not normal （that's the kind of feminism I can get behind）。 She encourages women to seek answers， even if that means finding a new provider。Part three takes on therapy， hormones， diets and supplements。 It's a balanced and in=depth look at treatment options with a great deal of medical terminology and a breakdown of the side effects from medications。 Part four focusses on encouraging women to take charge of their own well-being and not silently suffer because we have heard the message that it's just menopause and we should accept it。Overall， the book is highly technical and medical and I drifted off from time to time， completely lost and overwhelmed with the jargon。 I would have liked to read more anecdotes about Dr。 Gunter's own experience or from some of the women she has treated。 。。。more
Emmalita
，
I have been eagerly anticipating both menopause and The Menopause Manifesto: Own Your Health with Facts and Feminism for quite a while， and right now I’m disappointed in both。 I know Dr。 Jen Gunter knows that not every one with a uterus is a woman。 I have seen her speak inclusively about trans men and nonbinary people。 She also started the hashtag IfMenHadPeriods， which， well， some men do have periods。 Unfortunately， The Menopause Manifesto seems to be only for women， and this undermines her sta I have been eagerly anticipating both menopause and The Menopause Manifesto: Own Your Health with Facts and Feminism for quite a while， and right now I’m disappointed in both。 I know Dr。 Jen Gunter knows that not every one with a uterus is a woman。 I have seen her speak inclusively about trans men and nonbinary people。 She also started the hashtag IfMenHadPeriods， which， well， some men do have periods。 Unfortunately， The Menopause Manifesto seems to be only for women， and this undermines her stated desire to use facts and feminism to dismantle the patriarchy。 In 2021， centering a book about menopause solely on women feels like a deliberate choice。 I don’t know what her purpose is in ignoring trans men and nonbinary people， but the result is I cannot recommend or support this book。It particularly bothers me that in the introduction she declares the irrelevance of the patriarchy’s opinion on menopause while clinging to patriarchal definitions of gender。 I am a cis woman and I have always resented people telling me who I should be because my body has female reproductive organs。 It would be even more frustrating to have female reproductive organs and be defined as a woman even when you know you are not。 Feminism that allows people to be defined by their bodies is going to fail in it’s goal。It’s a fact that not everyone with a uterus who will go through menopause is a woman。 The feminism that insists on gender binary is not trying to dismantle the patriarchy。 It’s trying to rent a room in the patriarchy while slamming the door on trans， nonbinary， and genderfluid people。 It won’t work。 We have over a hundred years of a feminist movement that shows dismantling the patriarchy just a little gets women nowhere。 Women won’t have equality until everybody has equality。I am crying out for more conversation and science based knowledge about menopause。 I would like to know what the hell is going on with my body as I transition into menopause。 But， I can’t trust a woman physician who directs her information only at women any more than I can trust a man telling me about my body。 I can’t trust that she’s seeing facts and not building a reality that suits her vision。I really want to like this book。 I want to be able to recommend it to my friends， but I can’t。I received this as an advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Amie
，
Dr。 Jen Gunter does it again！ In her unabashed， honest， feminist style and packed with the most recent science， The Menopause Manifesto is a must read for women， their partners， and allies。 It is a book that empowers women to openly discuss their transitions into menopause in order to remove the stigma of aging and defeat the patriarchal control of our health one less period at a time。 I found it to be incredibly informative and appreciate the normalization of human changes as we age。 Advanced c Dr。 Jen Gunter does it again！ In her unabashed， honest， feminist style and packed with the most recent science， The Menopause Manifesto is a must read for women， their partners， and allies。 It is a book that empowers women to openly discuss their transitions into menopause in order to remove the stigma of aging and defeat the patriarchal control of our health one less period at a time。 I found it to be incredibly informative and appreciate the normalization of human changes as we age。 Advanced copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Ana W
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We really need this book！ There is so much information that women need about menopause and the transitions that happen around menopause。 I love that it is told from a body positive perspective。 I feel like this book was partly for women and partly for medical professionals - both groups will get a lot of of reading The Menopause Manifesto。 Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy in return for my fair and honest review。
Donna
，
Essential reading; knowledge is power。
Fianna Whitman
，
This book is interesting in that it is a combination of the history of menopause treatment， a political manifesto on the treatment of women as the locus of menopause and advice from a doctor who specializes in menopausal treatment。 It was interesting and strange。 I could have done without the entire chapter on the use and meaning of the word "menopause' but overall this was a great read on the plight of women as they age。After reading other reviews and seeing that some are upset about the omissi This book is interesting in that it is a combination of the history of menopause treatment， a political manifesto on the treatment of women as the locus of menopause and advice from a doctor who specializes in menopausal treatment。 It was interesting and strange。 I could have done without the entire chapter on the use and meaning of the word "menopause' but overall this was a great read on the plight of women as they age。After reading other reviews and seeing that some are upset about the omission of trans issues with menopause， I am seriously disappointed that these people clearly miss the point。 Biological women have been sidelined as they age as far back as there is history。 This isn't about the acceptance of trans women as female。 It's about the biologically female body being looked at as lesser than the male body; being something that society looks at as offensive because aging women don't fit into the patriarchy mindset。 。。。more
Liz Costa
，
Great read。 So much incredible information for this unpredictable time in a females life。 Thx Dr Jen！
Katie
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC。 I love Dr Gunter， he first book， The Vagina Bible is on my book shelf。 I love learning and even more so when the books relate to me as a female。 I’m not currently in the menopause phase of my life; but knowing a little more about what I can expect in the coming years is helpful。 Dr Gunter fills this book with so much knowledge regarding menopause。 From the history of the name itself， to hot flashes， hormone therapy to diet。 Learning about wh Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC。 I love Dr Gunter， he first book， The Vagina Bible is on my book shelf。 I love learning and even more so when the books relate to me as a female。 I’m not currently in the menopause phase of my life; but knowing a little more about what I can expect in the coming years is helpful。 Dr Gunter fills this book with so much knowledge regarding menopause。 From the history of the name itself， to hot flashes， hormone therapy to diet。 Learning about what your body is going through is so important。 Dr Gunter encourages the reader to be their own advocate。 She educates the reader， and relays her own person experience into the mix。 I would definitely recommend this read， for those who will experience menopause in their lifetime。 That extra bit of knowledge will be wildly helpful。 。。。more
Heidi
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The Menopause Manifesto is well researched and written and packed with information about both the history and biology of menopause。 It covers just about every subject related to menopause and frequently focuses on the historically male-centric views on menopause。 This was the first time I have read anything by Jen Gunter。 She injects humor into the topic as well as her opinion on how women are viewed once we have reached this inevitable stage of our lives。 Some of the chapters were a little leng The Menopause Manifesto is well researched and written and packed with information about both the history and biology of menopause。 It covers just about every subject related to menopause and frequently focuses on the historically male-centric views on menopause。 This was the first time I have read anything by Jen Gunter。 She injects humor into the topic as well as her opinion on how women are viewed once we have reached this inevitable stage of our lives。 Some of the chapters were a little lengthy and too detailed for me， but that may hold appeal for some readers。 I would recommend this book to friends who are looking for more information on the subject。Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC！ 。。。more
Rt
，
After a few chapters of history/rumination on misogyny in medicine， a very comprehensive overview of what we know about menopause’s physical—including cognitive/emotional—effects and variations， as well as potential treatments for different symptoms that are causing distress。 I definitely agree that we need more information about and discussion of menopause: I had no idea that much， much heavier periods—enough so that I became anemic—were reasonably common in the menopause transition， until I st After a few chapters of history/rumination on misogyny in medicine， a very comprehensive overview of what we know about menopause’s physical—including cognitive/emotional—effects and variations， as well as potential treatments for different symptoms that are causing distress。 I definitely agree that we need more information about and discussion of menopause: I had no idea that much， much heavier periods—enough so that I became anemic—were reasonably common in the menopause transition， until I started researching。 She’s a fan of properly prescribed hormone therapy， and down on compounded medications， whose quality control/dose regularity is worse than Big Pharma’s even though their chemical composition is no more “natural” or better in any other way: “Compounded hormones aren’t helping women avoid the gaps in medicine; they’re exploiting them。” 。。。more
Cindy Davis
，
There is SO much information in this book！ Check out my full review here and then pick up your copy:http://encounterswiththedavisfamily。b。。。 There is SO much information in this book！ Check out my full review here and then pick up your copy:http://encounterswiththedavisfamily。b。。。 。。。more
Alex
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I didn't think I would laugh reading a book about menopause。。。 but I did！ Who knew？ Educational， funny， a must read。 5 stars！ I didn't think I would laugh reading a book about menopause。。。 but I did！ Who knew？ Educational， funny， a must read。 5 stars！ 。。。more
Krista
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A manifesto is a public declaration or proclamation and we are well past due for a manifesto on menopause as 2021 is the 200th anniversary of the introduction of the word。 My manifesto is for every woman to have the knowledge that I had to help them with their own menopause。 I demand that the era of silence and shame about menopause yield to facts and feminism。 I proclaim that we must stop viewing menopause as a disease， because that means being a woman is a disease and I reject that shoddily A manifesto is a public declaration or proclamation and we are well past due for a manifesto on menopause as 2021 is the 200th anniversary of the introduction of the word。 My manifesto is for every woman to have the knowledge that I had to help them with their own menopause。 I demand that the era of silence and shame about menopause yield to facts and feminism。 I proclaim that we must stop viewing menopause as a disease， because that means being a woman is a disease and I reject that shoddily constructed hypothesis。 I also declare that what the patriarchy thinks of menopause is irrelevant。 Men do not get to define the value of women at any age。 Dr Jen Gunter （OB-GYN， women’s health advocate， and internationally renowned author of The Vagina Bible） states in her introduction to The Menopause Manifesto that most women will approach menopause woefully unprepared for the changes they will encounter; societal shame dissuading women from even talking about their experiences among themselves。 And as Western medicine has traditionally put most of its focus on men’s bodies and their care， women entering the menopause transition tend to not even get good information from their primary care providers: life-disrupting symptoms are dismissed as “normal” and “inevitable”; treatments offered are one size fit all; and in the US， ongoing cost and duration of medical care can be a deterrent for access。 Gunter makes it very clear throughout this book that this lack of information and adequate care can be tied to the patriarchy， and she concludes the introduction with， “It shouldn’t require an act of feminism to know how your body works， but it does。 And it seems there is no greater act of feminism than speaking up about a menopausal body in a patriarchal society。” The information that follows is clear and comprehensive， Gunter’s tone is generally informal and engaging， and although I picked this up on a bit of a whim， I’m very glad that I did: all information is power and I learned quite a lot。 （Note: I read an ARC through NetGalley and passages quoted may not be in their final forms。） There’s a common fallacy that women were never “meant” to experience menopause。 This assertion claims that menopause is an accidental state that resulted from longer life expectancies from modern sanitation and medicine， allowing women to live beyond their ovarian function。 A benevolent patriarchal society allowed the failings of women — menopause — to be uncovered。 The tenacity of this myth is testament to the impact of patriarchal dogma。 Erasing menopausal women from history is literally reducing women to the functioning of their uterus and ovaries。 When something feels off balance I replace the word “women” with “men” to see how it sounds。 If it sounds reasonable I’m more likely to consider the hypothesis worthy of further evaluation， but if we would never speak about men that way， then there’s going to be a lot of side eye on my part。 Has anyone ever in the history of medicine ever uttered these words？ “Through good sanitation and health care， men are now living long enough to develop erectile dysfunction？” Doubtful。 I knew so little about menopause that I didn’t even realise that only humans and toothed whales experience it （and for killer whales， it seems to confer some kind of an advantage: female orcas usually live to be around ninety， and males just to fifty）， so that does beg the question: why menopause？ Dr Gunter proposes the “grandmother hypothesis” — that human women （evolutionarily speaking） stop reproducing in order to help their daughters raise their own children， sharing their hard won knowledge and wisdom （this seems to be true for the whales， too） to the benefit of the species — and I suppose this shifting role is better than being consigned outright to the rubbish heap。 Whatever the reason for the menopause transition， women’s bodies will go through a range of unpleasant experiences （from hot flashes and irregular periods to insomnia and incontinence） and Gunter stresses that a doctor should describe such experiences as “typical” instead of “normal” （where “normal” implies that these are just things women need to deal with instead of addressing）。 In some cases， women suffering from life-altering symptoms may be prescribed MHT （menopausal hormone replacement） and Gunter goes into interesting detail about the history of hormonal treatments — including an explanation for why it’s no longer pejoratively called “HRT” （hormone replacement treatment; nothing is being replaced because nothing is failing） — and I appreciated that she explained why the small increase of risk for breast cancer can be offset by estrogen’s role in preventing the more likely onset of cardiovascular disease or osteoporosis。 I also appreciated the information she shared about so-called natural alternatives （hardly natural and never effective）， the uselessness of a daily multivitamin， and the danger of pharmacist-compounded， rather than pharmaceutically manufactured， hormone creams （why do these even exist？ Even the so-called libido-enhancing “scream creams” sound like snake oil。） The best way to approach menopause is to be informed so women can understand if what is happening is menopause-related; what diseases she may face due to her combination of genetics， health， and menopausal status; and what is the best way to achieve quality of life and health and how to best balance those goals against any risks。 This can only happen with accurate information and without the prejudice of the patriarchy。 There is a lot of good， specific information in The Menopause Manifesto， far beyond what I took away as general interest， and I can totally see how it could be a useful resource for a woman to consult before seeking medical advice。 I’m glad this exists and that I read it。 。。。more
Jenna Freedman
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Good writing， like the Yelp！ review at the beginning， which ends。 "And the sex was dry" lolsob， but I couldn't， in good conscience， finish or recommend at book that felt trans exclusionary。 Men experience perimenopause， too; womanhood isn't exclusive to producing estrogen， etc。 She also has that arrogant doctor thing going， being sure to point out that she started medical school at 20， and how perimenopause was easier for her because she understood what was going on with her body， and she's kind Good writing， like the Yelp！ review at the beginning， which ends。 "And the sex was dry" lolsob， but I couldn't， in good conscience， finish or recommend at book that felt trans exclusionary。 Men experience perimenopause， too; womanhood isn't exclusive to producing estrogen， etc。 She also has that arrogant doctor thing going， being sure to point out that she started medical school at 20， and how perimenopause was easier for her because she understood what was going on with her body， and she's kind of being a missionary to us ignorant savages explaining our bodies to us。 Even if it's true I don't understand what's going on with my body， I don't need to be patronized。 。。。more
Sara
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I received an e-ARC through Netgalley。This is a very well-researched book about the history， possible causes， treatments and thoughts on menopause。 The author shares her own personal experiences along the way which add a nice aspect to the clinical parts of the book。 The author is an OB/GYN so has a professional interest in the subject matter as well。
Chris
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Well researched and well written。 I would highly recommend to any woman long before even peri-menopause。 It’s never to early to know what’s coming。 Dr。 Gunter makes a complex topic approachable for the rest of us with clear and often funny explanations。
Susie
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Really interesting and honest book about the menopause。 I think this should be something that perhaps could be introduced into schools as it’s not until it happens that you know what to expect。 Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review。
Beth SHULAM
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Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC to read and review。Well researched and fact heavy， The Menopause Manifesto is a must read for all women regardless of age。Dr。 Gunter tells us everything we need to know about Menopause and how to begin to normalize the process so that women can get proper healthcare recognition。 She advocates reclaiming the menopause experience in a fully feminine way and disregarding the centuries of male biased healthcare associated with it。Fabulous resou Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC to read and review。Well researched and fact heavy， The Menopause Manifesto is a must read for all women regardless of age。Dr。 Gunter tells us everything we need to know about Menopause and how to begin to normalize the process so that women can get proper healthcare recognition。 She advocates reclaiming the menopause experience in a fully feminine way and disregarding the centuries of male biased healthcare associated with it。Fabulous resource。 。。。more
Gail Herrmann
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So happy to have been given the opportunity to read an advance copy of this wonderful book， precious to all women。 So well written and contains so much information！ Take away the shame of women getting older and embrace the change， easier to do when you have access to the information。
Giulia
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Dr。 Gunter does a great job explaining menopause and gives background and important information about it。I recommend for any women hoping to gain insight。 My only quibble is the constant reminder that the patriarchy thinks all aging women are useless。 Personally， I believe women are just as critical to other women regarding looking older etc。 as men are。 Regardless， I think women should know as much as they can about their bodies。 This book is a great source of information。 Thank you to Net Gall Dr。 Gunter does a great job explaining menopause and gives background and important information about it。I recommend for any women hoping to gain insight。 My only quibble is the constant reminder that the patriarchy thinks all aging women are useless。 Personally， I believe women are just as critical to other women regarding looking older etc。 as men are。 Regardless， I think women should know as much as they can about their bodies。 This book is a great source of information。 Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the chance to read and review。 。。。more
Eva
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