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The Vagina Bible: The Vulva and the Vagina—Separating the Myth from the Medicine

Jennifer Gunter

4.38 · Rating details · 5,739 ratings · 1,025 reviews

OB/GYN, writer for The New York Times, USA Today, and Self, and host of the show Jensplaining, Dr. Jen Gunter now delivers the definitive book on vaginal health, answering the questions you've always had but were afraid to ask--or couldn't find the right answers to. She has been called Twitter's resident gynecologist, the Internet's OB/GYN, and one of the fiercest advocate ...more

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Paperback, 420 pages

Published August 27th 2019 by Citadel Press

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· 5,739 ratings · 1,025 reviews

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Start your review of The Vagina Bible: The Vulva and the Vagina—Separating the Myth from the Medicine

Sep 12, 2019 MonumentToDecency rated it it was amazing

It is best to avoid blowing air into the vagina
I'm just going to leave that there, completely out of context, and let you deal with figuring it out all on your own.

It grinds my gears to no end hearing that rubbish that menstruation is something women should be proud of; a reminder of our femininity; a reminder of our beautiful womanhood; a reminder of our fragility, or of our ability to create life, yadda yadda. Shut the heck up.

For many women, periods are painful, and unnecessary 90% of the ...more

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Apr 26, 2022 emma rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: owned, to-review, recommend, nonfiction, non-ya, 4-stars

achieving...genius...status...

review to come / 4 stars

---------------

gotta read the owner's manual ...more

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Aug 05, 2019 NAT.orious reads ☾ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites, scientific-genius, feminist-reads, netgalley, cover-porn

5 ★★★★★ for Jen's vagenda

The patriarchy and snake oil have had a good run, but I'm done with how they negatively affect and weaponize women's health. So I am not going to stop swinging my bat until everyone has the tools to be an empowered patient and those who seek to subjugate women by keeping them from facts about their bodies have shut up and taken a seat in the back of class.
That's my vagenda.

This book is for you if…you carry a vagina and vulva or don't carry one but want to educate
5 ★★★★★ for Jen's vagenda

The patriarchy and snake oil have had a good run, but I'm done with how they negatively affect and weaponize women's health. So I am not going to stop swinging my bat until everyone has the tools to be an empowered patient and those who seek to subjugate women by keeping them from facts about their bodies have shut up and taken a seat in the back of class.
That's my vagenda.

This book is for you if…you carry a vagina and vulva or don't carry one but want to educate yourself on them. Period.

⇝Preface.
What. a. book. I love it so much. My goodness, I really do!! I am 100% honest when I say that I will get this book for all my vagina carrying friends AND myself. This is definitely one of my most significant reads. Jen's book is:

⇝eye-opening
⇝empowering
⇝sobering
⇝based on facts and decent studies
⇝feminist
⇝fantastic
⇝and so many more adjectives. Just buy it!!

It goes without saying that giving a summary of such a fantastic scientific book is impossible. Jen's writing style is clear and straight forward. She has a very honest and down to earth way of communicating facts and her experience as a gyn. She makes away with many ridiculous claims and practices that both society and science perpetuated but are actually crap. She also very clearly explains how patriarchy is still ruling a place where men have nothing to say (the vulva and vagina). Not only is this a very feminist read it is also addressing inequalities in access to health due to racist systems and frequently underlines the fact that being a woman is not only about having a vagina

Here's what to expect: I've marked what I found particularly useful with a moon:
GETTING STARTED
1 The Vulva 🌑
2 The Vagina 🌑
3 Vaginas and Vulvas in Transition 🌑
4 Female Pleasure and Sex Ed 🌑
5 Pregnancy and Childbirth

EVERYDAY PRACTICALITIES AND V MAINTENANCE
6 Medical Maintenance 🌑
7 Food and Vaginal Health 🌑
8 The Bottom Line on Underwear
9 The Lowdown on Lube
10 Kegel Exercises 🌑

SKIN CARE AND CLEANSING
11 Vulvar Cleansing: Soaps, Cleansers, and Wipes 🌑
12 Vaginal Cleansing: Douches, Steams, Sprays, and Potpourri 🌑
13 Hair Removal and Grooming 🌑
14 Moisturizers, Barriers, and Bath Products 🌑

MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS AND MYTHOLOGY
15 The Truth About Toxic Shock Syndrome 🌑
16 Are There Toxins in Tampons and Pads?
17 Menstrual Hygiene 🌑

MENOPAUSE
18 Menopause
19 Treating GSM

MEDICATIONS AND INTERVENTIONS
20 Cannabis
21 Contraception 🌑
22 Antibiotics and Probiotics
23 Cosmetic Procedures, Injections and "Rejuvenation" 🌑

SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS
24 General STI Information 🌑
25 STI Prevention 🌑
26 The Human Papilloma Virus
27 Herpes
28 Gonorrhea and Chlamydia
29 Trichomoniasis
30 Pubic Lice 🌑

CONDITIONS
31 Yeast
32 Bacterial Vaginosis
33 Vulvodynia
34 Pelvic Floor Muscle Spasm and Vaginismus
35 Skin Conditions
36 UTIs and Bladder Pain Syndrome 🌑
37 Pelvic Organ Prolapse

SYMPTOMS
38 Communicating with Your Provider 🌑🌑🌑🌑🌑
39 I Have Pain with Sex
40 I Have Vaginitis
41 I Hav a Vulvar Itch
42 I Have Vulvar Pain
43 I Have an Odor
44 I Have Bleeding After Sex

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
45 Medicine Cabinet Rehab 🌑
46 Internet Hygiene and Apps
47 Journal of Old Wives' Tales 🌑

REFERENCES
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Some aspects I highlighted throughout the book, with Jen's facts + opinions in cursive, many of them with a feminist vagenda:
The unclean vagina: Obsession with reproductive tract purity and cleansing date back to a time when a woman's worth was measured by her virginity and how many children she might bear. A vagina and uterus were currency. Playing on these fears awakens something visceral. AND It is important to remember that the concept of female cleanliness has largely been driven by a male-dominated society that for centuries, if not longer, has decided normal female genitals and secretions are "dirty".

the mighty penis: A penis is not the most reliable way to achieve female orgasm. AND The idea that a penis is mighty enough to bring on labor is, to be honest, a bit eye-rolling. AND Everyone (okay, the patriarchy) seems very impressed with the ability of a penis to grow, but the few centimetres of change that a penis can muster up pales in comparison with the vagina's ability to stretch.

the unimportant clitoris: Males of the time were unsure of the role of the clitoris and likely thought it unimportant. This stands in sharp contrast to the anatomic glory of the penis. [...] Society, including, medicine, is obsessed with erections, while the clitoris barely registers as a footnote.

"accidental" anal sex: Some women report coercion regarding anal sex, as well as so-called "accidental" but actually planned anal penetration by their male partners. [As someone who has had anal sex I cannot for the life of me understand how men can be asshole-y enough to do shit like this. Every single person who does this should be tied up and then be penetrated anally without lube. See how accidental it feels.]

A tip from Jen about all this "cleansing, cleaning, etc." products: The way some of these products are promoted makes it sound as if it is a miracle the vulva has made it this far.

The culture of chastising women for sex - which has been around ever since: The increased friction from dry tissues and/or the obvious discomfort of their partner was apparently a turn- on for men. I have often wondered if normalizing a practice that made sex painful for women was an invisible chastity belt. AND I hear from women that some male partners "don't like" lubricant or say it affects their erection. It's only a few millilitres of lube (far less than an ounce), so it's not exactly as if his penis is encased in pudding. [...] If he uses this "too wet" excuse, then either he doesn't know what an excited vagina feels like or he could be projecting his medical condition, typically erectile dysfunction, onto you.
_____________________
This eArc was provided by Kensington Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you very much! ...more

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Mar 07, 2020 Nenia ✨ I yeet my books back and forth ✨ Campbell marked it as to-read

Shelves: feminism, nonfiction, bill-nye-the-science-guy

UPDATE: ON SALE TODAY (12/23/21) for $1.99 YAYYYYY GET YOUR VAG ON

I follow this author on Twitter and she's really funny and amazing, and I love how she sticks it to male trolls and idiots perpetuating medical falsehoods.

Sex ed. is really not what it should be in the United States, and I think a lot of people leave school just as confused as before (if not more so). ...more

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Oct 30, 2019 Jenna ❤ ❀ ❤ rated it it was amazing

Recommended to Jenna by: MonumentToDecency

Shelves: health, medical, non-fiction

I hadn't planned to read this book until I read my GR friend MonumentToDecency's review of it. As I cannot possibly write a better and more entertaining endorsement for this book, I urge you to hop over to her review and read it for yourself. Prepare to laugh and learn!

Click here to be taken to this most informative and hilarious review.

You too will want to read the book! And if you have a vagina, you should! ...more

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Apr 20, 2020 Claudia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: science, medicine

If you have a vagina, you should read this book; if you don’t but love one (or more), you should read parts of it, as well.

If you do have knowledge about it – and you definitely should – this will not be a groundbreaking reading, but you’ll still learn some interesting facts from it.

Not to mention the writing style, which is compelling as hell; if all non-fiction books & science (generally speaking) would be written like this, I don’t think I’ll stop reading them. And if she really is in real li ...more

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Jul 14, 2019 Ꮗ€♫◗☿ ❤️ ilikebooksbest.com ❤️ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley, non-fiction

Everything you wanted to know about the vagina but were afraid to ask, or didn’t know who to ask, or couldn’t find anyone to ask

Jennifer Gunter covers the vagina basics such as where everything is located and what everything is for, including what makes up the Vulva, and the parts and anatomy of the clitoris. She goes on to debunk and or prove myths such as is there really a G-spot or is it really just the parts of the clitoris near the bladder and vaginal wall on some women filled with blood an ...more

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Mar 29, 2020 Moonkiszt rated it it was amazing

Shelves: language-is-a-character, pulling-back-the-curtain-revelation, science-involved, empowerment-tool-of, do-whatcha-gotta-do, dontfreakout, explicit-language-or-sexual-topics, re-readable, adults-authors-explaining-stuff, resulted-in-a-lot-of-googling

Ok. Those who need to, just scoot on to the next review. I know there is a low tolerance for TMI. See you later.

I love Mary Roach as an author, and this author, Jen Gunter, reminds me quite a bit of Ms. Roach. There is not as much humor as Gulp, or Stiff or Bonk, but there is the same steady, down to earth doctor talk that is believable and myth-busting.

Jen Gunter is no-nonsense and as a doctor is just like you want her to be. Besides all the plain facts, she takes into account life as it is liv Ok. Those who need to, just scoot on to the next review. I know there is a low tolerance for TMI. See you later.

I love Mary Roach as an author, and this author, Jen Gunter, reminds me quite a bit of Ms. Roach. There is not as much humor as Gulp, or Stiff or Bonk, but there is the same steady, down to earth doctor talk that is believable and myth-busting.

Jen Gunter is no-nonsense and as a doctor is just like you want her to be. Besides all the plain facts, she takes into account life as it is lived now (not 50 years ago), and also shares her experience and preferences, the whys and wherefors after claiming them as such. I appreciated her clear delineation between what is, what is preferred by some and what she personally prefers - all are presented with the equal weight - she doesn't espouse one right way. On the other hand, when it comes to body health, best practices and medical remedies she is unequivocal.

She also has strong opinions about social shaping of feminine ideals by male priorities over the whole of human development. This is a unique time in which we live - one where women have been accorded more vocal power, more access to information and social flexibility to if not make change then at least have more intentional freedom in their choices about their bodies.

The Vagina Bible covers everything from soup to nuts - all of it. I do recommend the audio version, narrated by the author. I enjoyed hearing her own particular emphasis. I usually listen "out loud" as I'm most often alone in my listening. But this, you'd probably want to listen with "ears" to preserve any blush factors and the ability to fast forward if she's talking about something you don't want to know more about.

Every woman should have a chance to consider on their own, this frank information. There are answers to questions you never dared ask, or think about; you'll be disabused of some of the stuff you've made up on your own or with the help of others who were also making stuff up. You find out normal isn't necessary normal, and weird might just be very normal. I wish I could have given this book to my girls when they fledged, but it wasn't around. They are fully fledged now, and I'm still giving them the nudge to be brave and check this out.

If you are brave, and have one, this is the owner's manual for which we've all been looking.

5 perfectly PHd stars. My thanks to the author for putting it out there (ha! pun intended). ...more

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Aug 24, 2019 Leigh Kramer rated it it was amazing

Shelves: nonfiction, favorites

I’m going to make a bold claim: if you are a person with a vagina, you need this book. Whether you read it front to back or use it as a resource tool, it is one of the most important books I’ve read for my own health and well-being and I commend it to everyone. I’m a relatively informed cis-het woman and I still learned so much in this book.

Dr. Jen Gunter writes in an accessible, engaging style. Her astute insights and observations are interspersed with humor and wit. Her goal is to empower and I’m going to make a bold claim: if you are a person with a vagina, you need this book. Whether you read it front to back or use it as a resource tool, it is one of the most important books I’ve read for my own health and well-being and I commend it to everyone. I’m a relatively informed cis-het woman and I still learned so much in this book.

Dr. Jen Gunter writes in an accessible, engaging style. Her astute insights and observations are interspersed with humor and wit. Her goal is to empower and inform and she more than did the job. I especially appreciated how she showed the role of patriarchy in women’s health: "Medicine has been steeped in man-splaining from the start.” We need so much more research and information on vaginas and vulvas and she is shining a bright light for us.

There are chapters like how to discuss concerns with your doctor, as well as chapters on topics like menopause, genital hygiene, Toxic Shock Syndrome (not as big of a risk as I thought!), and hair removal. It’s one of the most thorough resources I’ve ever read and I feel so much more empowered as a result, as well as more aware of what I didn’t know before because of how little good information is out there. We are constantly exposed to poor research and often gaslit for our concerns so it is beyond helpful to have a guide at the ready should you experience any symptoms or receive a diagnosis.

This is a truly inclusive book. Chapter 3 is specifically about trans people: Vaginas and Vulvas in Transition. It was so great to see the various concerns and barriers to care addressed. Throughout the book, she specifically notes risk factors and concerns for those who are lesbian, bisexual, or trans.

The myth-busting portions proved to be particularly valuable, whether it was something I’d heard or done before or not. For instance, I was flummoxed to learn wearing cotton underwear to prevent yeast infections is a myth. Something I've heard my whole life! But there’s negligible research to prove that claim, no matter how often I’ve heard that advice. Same goes with peeing after sex to prevent a UTI. Two studies showed there is no correlation there.

Related to all this myth-busting is Gunter’s stringent research methodology. She takes great pains to reference when research has been negligible, when sample sizes are too small to give us clear results, when more search is needed, and so on. She backs up her work and shows where more information was needed to make a determination. There’s also an entire chapter on how to evaluate medical research, which includes how to determine whether bias is at play and where to even start online. As someone who was a sociology major, I wish this was something more people knew, particularly how to evaluate research quality, so I was glad to see her lay it out.

I’ll be recommending this one to everyone I know. All my gratitude to Dr. Gunter for writing it.

Disclosure: I received an advanced copy from Citadel Press in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Aug 10, 2021 Elizabeth Bedlam rated it it was amazing

If you only read one bible this year this is it.

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Feb 07, 2021 Éimhear (A Little Haze) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Incredibly informative novel written in a very accessible style. Debunks a lot of myths that are out there about vulval health. Personally I would have liked a little more about the female reproductive system as a whole but I accept that that was outside the remit of the novel given the title.
Great to see the experience of trans women included.

Recommended.

Also highly recommend following the author Dr Jen Gunter on twitter for more science and medicine based information.

For more reviews and ...more

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Aug 24, 2019 Brittany rated it liked it

Shelves: non-fiction, reviews

3.5/5

I'm struggling with what to rate this book - I think I'm somewhere between a 3 and a 4.

In Dr. Gunter's introduction, she says to use it as either a reference or read it straight-through. I chose to do both: I read 100 pages straight, and then I looked up topics I was particularly curious about.

There is a lot to love about Dr. Gunter's book. I found her book extremely readable - she writes like your friend-doctor with whom you're getting a cup of coffee. Who knew reading about reproductive 3.5/5

I'm struggling with what to rate this book - I think I'm somewhere between a 3 and a 4.

In Dr. Gunter's introduction, she says to use it as either a reference or read it straight-through. I chose to do both: I read 100 pages straight, and then I looked up topics I was particularly curious about.

There is a lot to love about Dr. Gunter's book. I found her book extremely readable - she writes like your friend-doctor with whom you're getting a cup of coffee. Who knew reading about reproductive organs could be so enjoyable? I am also extremely grateful for and encouraged by the fact that she spends a lot of time reminding the reader that so many of the misconceptions we have around our bodies are a result of what was previously a male-dominated medical field and, in general, male perspectives. It's easy to feel "less than", and the fact that she addresses that a lot of the ideas we have about are bodies are non-scientific is so important. I wish more women we read this book for that reason.

The problem, though, with having such a personable writing style, is that there may be people who are turned off by it. I personally am grateful for the feminist educational stance within this book, but I remember reading one passage that felt a little like, "UGH, men." I also didn't necessarily agree with one of the theories I read (bear in mind I have no medical training). My fear is that, because Dr. Gunter is so unapologetically herself in this book, the people who might need this education the most may not read it.

This book exhaustively addresses various topics surrounding the reproductive organs, as far as I can tell. Again, no medical training here, but I was able to answer some questions I had as well as learn a bunch. Because the book covers a lot of material, I believe it would be a good resource for women of all ages.

I do think the book could be organized a bit more intuitively - from what I read, some topics would be addressed in passing in one section, and then brought up again in an independent chapter. I also wish there had been a few more diagrams - I think they would have helped someone like me (with no experience with anatomy) navigate some of the terms a bit better.

Overall, I think this book is extremely encouraging, educational, and thorough. I plan to keep it on my shelf as a resource for years to come.

*This book was graciously provided by Kensington Books. I have attempted to remain as impartial as possible while leaving this review.*

...more

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Jan 25, 2020 Isil Arican rated it it was amazing

I love Jen Gunter's work, admire her contribution to science based medicine and support her fight against misinformation around women's healthcare. I have been following her for some time on twitter and in various blogs, and when I hear she was writing this book I was thrilled. Women's health is ignored and dismissed on so many levels, it is hard to find reliable and more importantly digestable information without the myths and misogyny surrounding it.

This is a book every vagina owner ( natural ...more

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Jul 13, 2019 Maya rated it it was amazing

Shelves: interesting, arc-gift, non-fiction

ARC received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, I'm so glad I chose to read this book. It's phenomenal. It's a book where knowledge meets humor. So you can only imagine that this is a fun read that at the same time gives you much needed information about a woman's body, mostly about the vagina as well as the vulva. I really enjoyed reading about the different functions each part has and also about the numerous trends. Some were really crazy and I for sure would not try them out ...more

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Mar 26, 2021 Jennie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Σε όλους και όλες.

Shelves: guides, favourite-books-stories, lesson-giver, giveaway

4,5 αστέρια

Ένα αξιόλογο βιβλίο, από μια έμπειρη και καταξιωμένη γυναικολόγο, που καλό είναι να υπάρχει σε κάθε βιβλιοθήκη. Δικαιώνει τον όρο "Βίβλος" γιατί πραγματικά λειτουργεί σαν μια τέτοια.
Ως προς τη μεριά των πληροφοριών είναι ένα ενημερωμένο, επεξηγηματικό και κατατοπιστικό βιβλίο που καταδεικνύει όχι μόνο τα διάφορα γυναικολογικά ζητήματα αλλά και καταρρίπτει μύθους που έχουμε ακούσει γύρω από αυτά.
Ως προς το τεχνικό κομμάτι μου άρεσε ο χωρισμός των ενοτήτων και τα σύντομα κεφάλαια

...more

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Aug 11, 2019 Tanya rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: advance-copy

I'd never heard of Dr. Jen Gunter before, but since reading this book, I found out that she's got quite an online reputation and following (as well as her own column in the NYT), and is a crusader against Gwyneth Paltrow's "health venture" Goop, who, among many other ethically questionable products (at best ineffective, at worst potentially harmful), promotes sticking a $60+ jade egg up your vagina for "spiritual detox"... I can get behind anyone loudly advocating against that.

Dr. Gunter has a v I'd never heard of Dr. Jen Gunter before, but since reading this book, I found out that she's got quite an online reputation and following (as well as her own column in the NYT), and is a crusader against Gwyneth Paltrow's "health venture" Goop, who, among many other ethically questionable products (at best ineffective, at worst potentially harmful), promotes sticking a $60+ jade egg up your vagina for "spiritual detox"... I can get behind anyone loudly advocating against that.

Dr. Gunter has a very simple "vagenda"—to debunk old wives' tales and combat the misinformation women are confronted with, by providing a comprehensive guidebook of accurate, medically sound information, because only someone armed with fact-based knowledge has the necessary tools to give informed consent when it comes to their health. The Vagina Bible (which covers the vulva and uterus as well) is broken up in sections and chapters that cover everything from the most basic anatomy, maintenance and care, menstruation and menopause, as well as STIs and other medical conditions. Each chapter is fairly short and snappy, full of good information and refutation of bad one, with the most important pieces of info summed up at the end of each with a handy list of bullet points. Despite having almost thirty years of experience as an OB/GYN, Gunter has been a blogger and columnist for many years, and her writing is the opposite of clinical, but rather lively, engaging, and often quite funny—my favorite out-of-context quote is definitely "it's a vagina, not a piña colada".

The title and subject matter may give the mistaken impression that this book adheres to a sex binary, but Gunter often goes into how certain conditions can affect trans* people transitioning from either sex, and I appreciated her making the effort to be inclusive of someone who probably has an even harder time acquiring the information they need. As for myself, I thought that I had a fairly good idea about my own bits, but this book schooled me and definitely filled some gaps—for instance, I never questioned the (what I now know to be a) myth that peeing after sex decreases the chances of getting a UTI, because it seemed oddly plausible to me. I also learned that having gotten my first period early in life won't mean that I'll go into menopause earlier, but the prolonged exposure to those hormones increases my risk of getting breast cancer down the line—how's that for a cheery thought?

I've never (thankfully, knock on wood) suffered from any STD, yeast infection, UTI or anything of the sort (and this book made me appreciate just how lucky that is, given the prevalence), so all of that was a wealth of new information for me, although I admit that the latter half of the book felt very US-centric, since Gunter goes into treatment options in detail, giving commercial names of medication and their recommended dosage for intervention. Those chapters weren't as captivating to read because they were so packed with information I didn't have use for, but the right audience will surely appreciate it, and they're a good resource to have after a doctor's appointment if you have any lingering doubts about a diagnosis or prescription and are trying to decide whether you should get a second opinion. For myself, I would've liked it if she'd gone more in-depth about different types of hormonal birth control—I've switched to the mini-pill at the start of the year and have started questioning that choice, and there wasn't much on that to be found within these pages, and I missed a chapter on endometriosis, a condition I fear I may suffer from, and a fear every gynecologist I've seen about it has dismissed without any testing.

Some omissions that probably would've been well beyond the scope of the book aside, The Vagina Bible is basically a vulva and vagina encyclopaedia where medical knowledge and myth busting meet a good dose of humor, and I'd recommend it to anyone who has (or used to have) a vagina, and to anyone who loves someone with one—my own partner has expressed interest in reading this for his own education, and I'll gladly pass it on.

—————

Note: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Feb 27, 2020 Emmkay rated it liked it

Shelves: 2020-reads, non-fiction, book-club, med-sci, eye-opening, how-to

Admirably and exhaustively educational - nothing like settling into a chapter on ‘pubic lice’ for your bedtime reading. Gunter’s educational campaign extends to other topics that my middle-aged brain was only vaguely aware of and had no need to be dissuaded from, ranging from crocheted tampons found on Etsy to having one’s own plasma injected into one’s clitoris. Not things that were included in the 70s copy of Our Bodies, Ourselves in my home when I was growing up. Still contains line drawings, ...more

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Mar 09, 2022 Kaethe rated it it was amazing

Shelves: nonfiction, medicine, chpl, uncch

Highly recommended for any person who has ever had a vulva/vagina in either an anatomical or biblical sense, because Dr. Gunter is inclusive, evidence-based, seemingly embarrassment-proof, and utterly unwilling to put up with any patriarchal or consumerist bullshit. She can also be funny. Not only does she tell you what has been proven, but she tells you how strong the research is, or what the limitations are, and what is under researched or just unknowable. This is the ob-gyn everyone wishes th ...more

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Mar 10, 2021 Becky rated it it was amazing

Shelves: highly-recommended, i-want-this, 2021, social-justice, audiobook, yay-science, non-fiction, reference, reviewed

Very short review time! This book is incredibly informative and interesting if you're at all interested in vulva and vaginal health and maintenance. This book goes into a lot of anatomical information, medical information (diseases, illnesses, infections, irritations, and issues) that affect people with vulvas and vaginas, and all manner of other various bits of relevant info pertaining to holistic (meaning whole body, not frou frou crystal shit) wellness as it relates to them. Birth control, ho Very short review time! This book is incredibly informative and interesting if you're at all interested in vulva and vaginal health and maintenance. This book goes into a lot of anatomical information, medical information (diseases, illnesses, infections, irritations, and issues) that affect people with vulvas and vaginas, and all manner of other various bits of relevant info pertaining to holistic (meaning whole body, not frou frou crystal shit) wellness as it relates to them. Birth control, hormone therapy, care and handling, hair removal, bleeding, period pain, TSS, lubrication... if ever you feel the need to have a Vagina Trivia Night... this book is here for you.

As the proud bearer of my very own vagina, I found so much information useful and helpful just in normalizing conversations and providing a basis for having them with my gyno. I am that person that just goes in, gets it over with, and when my lovely doctor asks if I have any questions or concerns or want to talk about anything... I'm like a blank slate. BUT, maybe not next time. I am not really a squeamish or overly embarrassed sort (as evidenced by me discussing my bits here in this review!), so it's not that I am worried she might judge me or something... it's just more the "This is normal for me, so what's there to discuss?" thing that I have now realized is maybe not such a normal thing after all. (I often have debilitatingly painful periods, so next time I go in, I shall discuss this with my doctor and not just continue dealing with it in silence as I have for far too long.)

Anyway. This book is very pro-feminism, in a "women/people with vaginas healthcare IS healthcare" way, and pro-equity of access and information and assistance and advocacy. Otherwise, it's apolitical. She gives straight up facts based on studies and information available currently, and outlines it in an accessible and lay-person friendly way, though it can be a bit dry at times (She recommends water based lube for that. :P). This is definitely a reference type book, not a narrative type book, but I still think it should be required reading (or at least referencing) if you have, or know someone who has, a vagina. :) ...more

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Nov 17, 2021 Mundy Reimer rated it it was amazing

Shelves: biology, sex-magic, social-sciences, psychology

Longer review coming shortly but 💯👌 so far! Incredibly comprehensive and informative! I would recommend this to pretty much all of my female friends and any others who want to understand more and/or care for their partner's health as well (go teamwork!)

Goes over: General Physiology (finally decent pictures for once!), Pleasure, Pregnancy & Childbirth, Food & Vaginal Health, Underwear, Lube, Exercises, Skincare & Cleansing with various soaps/cleansers/wipes, Moisturizers, Hair Removal+Grooming, M ...more

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Sep 02, 2019 Raine McLeod rated it really liked it

Not what I expected. It’s very good for reference and there’s honestly a lot more going on down there than I thought. Only gets 4 stars because she spends a huge chunk of the book talking about men (transwomen) who neither have a vagina (an inverted penis is not a vagina) nor will ever need a gynaecologist (because they do not and will never have a vagina). It pisses me off that we can’t even have a book called THE VAGINA BIBLE without having to pander to fucking men’s delusions.

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Jul 22, 2019 Nicole Wagner rated it it was amazing

Wow!!

I'm 33, a mom, college educated, professional, and a mostly Internet savvy feminist. And I learned SO MUCH from this book! I have to recommend it to anyone and everyone who has a vagina.

I mean it. Everyone who has a vagina, including trans women and nonbinary folks. This book is written with diversity in mind and addresses numerous issues specific to these groups. In fact, once I got done reading I donated my copy to my local center for youth between the ages of 14 and 24 who are experienc Wow!!

I'm 33, a mom, college educated, professional, and a mostly Internet savvy feminist. And I learned SO MUCH from this book! I have to recommend it to anyone and everyone who has a vagina.

I mean it. Everyone who has a vagina, including trans women and nonbinary folks. This book is written with diversity in mind and addresses numerous issues specific to these groups. In fact, once I got done reading I donated my copy to my local center for youth between the ages of 14 and 24 who are experiencing unsafe or unstable housing, many of whom are LGBTQ+ and likely have limited access to compassionate health care.

The best part about this book isn't the anatomy lessons or descriptions of STDs and their remedies. The best part is the incredible, timely MYTH BUSTING! What is commonly referred to as "old wives' tales" are a thing of the past. Yes, they do persist, but nobody I know actually douches anymore, for example. We scoff at our mothers for having done so. What we have now is the casual misinformation of reputable-looking health topic websites like Livestrong, which generally show up on the first page of Google search results and tend to perpetuate many of the modern myths about vaginas that I actually believed.

Here are some bombs from this book:
Peeing after sex doesn't prevent UTIs.
Wearing only cotton panties doesn't prevent yeast infections.
Removing the hair from your labia can increase your risk of contracting STDs.
That whole Chris Pratt meme about pooing and that frustrating "wiping a marker" sensation? You don't need to wipe that hard. The harder you wipe, the more poop comes out. You should basically be blotting down there.
Marijuana and alcohol make you physically worse at sex. Men, too. But since so much of arousal is about lowering inhibitions and feeling relaxed, they might help anyway.

These are juuuuuuuuuuuuust a few examples of the amazing revelations this book has to offer. Seriously, if you have a vag, check out this book. Then pass it on to someone else who has a vag.

Edit: I just deleted a really disgusting transphobic comment. Please don't bother commenting on my review if you're going to be blatantly insulting to the almost 1 million transgender people in the US. If you're trans, please know that you deserve skilled, compassionate medical care that respects your health and wholeness. ...more

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Oct 14, 2019 Ariel ✨ rated it really liked it

Shelves: health-care

Dr. Jennifer Gunter crams a lot of valuable, dense information in this little tome. At times it became a little too dense as if she forgot she wasn't writing a textbook for medical students. I'm glad this book exists, but a few sections gave me pause. I started to feel almost defensive of natural menstrual sanitation tools and techniques that I don't even use because of the way she dismissed them so flippantly, but she does dig deep into shaving vs. waxing, the microtraumas these grooming practi ...more

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Jan 14, 2020 Alexis rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020

This is more a book that you read in fits and starts, rather than cover to cover. I read it cover to cover. And I learned a lot! I also got mad by how much misinformation and old wives' tales there are out there, and by how the female body has really been exploited by patriarchy.

I also learned that some women dry their vulvas with hair dryers. NOOOOOO! I screamed.

I also realized that I should probably boil my tweezers, or at the very least, clean them more often.

I like Jen Gunter's personable, ...more

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Dec 06, 2019 Toni rated it it was amazing

Surprisingly, my husband heard about this book first, then told me. I promptly put it on hold at our library and was delightfully, intrigued and informed. The no-nonsense author and doctor, writes a pithy organized book that every women should read. Favorite chapter at the end: “Journal of Old Wives’ Tales.” Recommend.

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Jan 23, 2020 Meghan Doidge rated it it was amazing

REQUIRED READING FOR EVERY WOMAN!! I really need to blog about it. I learned numerous things within the first few pages (I'm almost embarrassed to admit my ignorance!)(and I should re-read). Very accessibly written. I desperately need the author's book on perimenopause NOW! ...more

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Oct 16, 2019 Lubinka Dimitrova rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019, female-author, audio, general-non-fiction, eye-opening, funny, oh-yes-it-s-you-at-last, fitness-health-wellbeing, history-will-teach-us-nothing

The Vagina Bible is written with much love for the woman, and it shows. Dr. Gunter has a refreshingly no-nonsense approach to the topics she examines, and does not shy away from scolding both men and women for some outrageous ideas that people believe and perpetuate, sometimes unwillingly, due to lack of knowledge, sometimes consciously, for a variety of reasons.

In any case, the book is heavy on practical, detailed information for a ton of symptoms, ailments, treatments and general advice (which ...more

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Feb 06, 2020 Cynthia rated it liked it

Dr. Jen Gunter, author and OB-GYN professional, created a guide detailing the intricacies of the female anatomy. She also devotes countless paragraphs addressing and dispelling myths associated with this subject, and there are plenty of those.

This isn’t the type of book one reads from cover to cover. It’s more like an encyclopedia of data and facts sprinkled with the author’s personal experiences and in some instances opinions. A good go to source especially for women. While I didn’t agree with ...more

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Jan 15, 2020 Keely Langford rated it really liked it

Written as though we’re at hers, having a book club, and we had some questions. We aren’t idiots, we aren’t doctors, we are people, and frankly, there’s some stuff we should know. She’s not: “I know everything” but: “Here’s what I know so far and why I’ve made this decision. Do with that what you will.”

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Nov 27, 2020 Cherisa B rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, 2020-women-authors, science

A comprehensive, interesting, sometimes fun and sometimes infuriating read, especially when the arrogance of masculine issues is played out on women’s bodies, all through history and across medical practices.

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