This is a must-read for all women! I found it to be informative and easily accessible (not too much medical jargon and what there is is well explained). I'm in my 30s and there were topics covered in this book that I had never heard of and some that I have always been too embarrased to ask my own gynecologist (and I have a great gynecologist who I know would not judge me). I appreciated that the advice is not given in a way to make you feel dumb if you do things a different way. Dr. Gunter has a great writing style that makes even some of the more clinical topics interesting. I have recently heard a lot about menstrual cups so I found that section especially helpful in sorting through all the other articles I have read. I agree with the author that there is no one right way to use this book - you can either read it from start to finish or just check out the sections that are relevant to you. I would highly recommend this to women of all ages - especially younger women so that they can make educated decisions about their health and choices.

Great resource for women! Everyone (who has a vagina) should have one at home. Think of this as an episode of myth buster meets your health science textbook from middle school (but much better and cooler?)

When I saw The Vagina Bible: The Vulva and the Vagina: Separating the Myth from the Medicine by Dr. Jennifer Gunter offered on NetGalley, I jumped all over it. This is an honest review in exchange for an ARC. The book is available August 27. You should buy it or ask your library to buy many copies.

Dr. Jen Gunter is one of my favorite Twitter follows. She is smart, funny, and beacon of light in dark times. The Vagina Bible is exactly what I wanted it to be – informative, frank, and with a tl:dr box at the end of each chapter with the main points. This is a book that every household should have on their shelves, whether they have women in the home or not. Yes, I believe everyone should have a basic understanding of the vagina and vulva because the nonsense from men and boys about what women should be doing differently about their periods turns me into a rage monster at least once a month. Libraries and school libraries should have this book. I hope it goes through many editions and updates.

Gunter covers both basic information that we should all have about caring for the vagina, vulva, and associated reproductive system, and the nonsense inflicted on us by a variety of sources. She gets into why we don’t know as much about the vagina (patriarchy) and why so much of what passes for common knowledge is bullshit (patriarchy). I am 50, I am in perimenopause. I started menstruating a month before my 13th birthday. I’ve been menstruating for almost 38 years and I am constantly surprised at how little I know about my own body. I consider myself relatively well educated on my vagina, vulva, and reproductive system over all compared to many other women who are also not in health care. I learned a lot from this book. I had things I accepted as true debunked, and learned facts I had never known.

Patriarchy infused Western medicine has not been good to women and doesn’t seem to be getting better. I didn’t count the number of times Dr. Gunter says something like “X is not well understood” and then goes onto talk about the lack of sound scientific studies. I’d go back and count, but I don’t need the rage stroke that would likely induce. Alternative medicine is just as steeped in patriarchy, with some cultural fetishization thrown in (see jade eggs and “Japanese” tightening sticks). Anything about vaginal odor, taste, “cleaning,” or tightening is designed to make women ashamed of their bodies, waste our time and lighten our wallets.

Right from the beginning of this book the author makes clear statements as to the purpose of her mission. She states,
'I have a VAGENDA: for every woman to be empowered with accurate information about the vagina and vulva.' and she dedicates her book

'For every woman who has ever been told - usually by some dude - that she is too wet, too dry, too gross, too loose, to tight, too bloody, or too smelly. This book is for you.'

This is an excellent resource that should be in every school, library, doctor's office and home. It is written in a way that you can start at the front and progress through, or choose an independent topic of interest and be give factual information and links to other chapters to reference. Each chapter comes with a short point form summary and despite the medical information the author's tone is light, modern and fun. She does a great job of addressing myths and internet quackery. The end of the book lists chapter by chapter medical references backing up her claims should one wish to read further. This book works for people of all ages and genders including information for trans gendered people.

'Misinforming women about their bodies serves no one.'

'Fortunately I have an antidote. Facts.'

'Douches: These are cigarettes for your vagina.'

'Vaginal cleansing has a complex history, and undoing centuries of misinformation and misogyny is hard.'

'There's a lot of money in vaginal shame.'

'It's a vagina, not a pina colada.'

Thank you to Citadel Press and Kensington Publishing Corp. for allowing me to read an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have been following Dr. Gunter's work on Facebook and Instagram for quite some time and have wanted to read this book from the very moment it was announced.

I had very high expectations-- and it has thoroughly exceeded them. I accidentally missed high school health (I had an injury in grade 9 so I didn't have to take gym. No gym= no sex ed) and while I have a fair idea of things, it is always a good idea to know more about my body especially since I have an under-researched genetic disorder.

"The Vagina Bible" is informative but does not just throw facts around: it is a cohesive book with engaging writing that does not ridicule its audience for their potential ignorance. I was concerned that since the book has vagina in the title that it might exclude trans people but Dr. Gunter talks about the specific medical needs of trans men and trans women. Notably this occurs towards the beginning of the book which means anyone who is reading the book start to finish will likely be exposed to learning more about transgender people (which is a great thing!) even if they do not read the entire book.

In addition to her calling out harmful pseudo-science, what I *really* appreciate is how Dr. Gunter will lay out pros and cons for things such as, say, bikini hair removal. She discusses which methods are best for the skin and why technically only trimming should be advised but then she outlines her own regime. Instead of saying 'only trim everything else is terrible,' she says trimming is the safest but that she likes having her bikini waxed and lists her process for ensuring she does not get ingrown hairs etc. She does the same for bath bombs: noting that they can cause irritation but if you like them and they don't irritate you then use as many bath bombs as you like. If you want to have bath bombs but are sensitive to them, she lists a recipe for one that is for sensitive skin. I just really respect that she uses personal notes to make sure that her narrative is not blaming women for what makes them happy and is instead noting the best ways to do it.

This is definitely a book I think everyone should read-- but especially people with vaginas as health care for those with vaginas is woefully under-researched and appallingly under-taught. I do not really purchase health-related books, but I will certainly be buying this one.

This is a great guide. Would suggest for every family that has vaginas. Written clearly and very easy to understand.

This was an interesting book of some things I knew and some I didn’t. It was a quick read and the author wrote well. Thank you to netgalley for the ARC.

The Vagina Bible is a fabulous book that all women should read. Even going women who have questions about their vagina's need to read this. A must buy and read.

I believe this is something every woman ought to read. It is very informative and opens your eyes to see just how little you knew. Excellent book!

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

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

Jennifer Gunter covers the basics such as what is what and where is everything including what makes up the Vulva, and the parts and anatomy of the clitoris. She goes on to debunk and or prove myths such as is there really a G-spot, inside the vagina or is it really just the parts of the clitoris near the bladder and vaginal wall on some women than are filled with blood and sensitive? Does eating pineapple really make a woman’s vagina smell and taste sweeter? Can women really ejaculate or “squirt” and what is it (FYI- it is not as sexy as men like to think)

There is information on the vagina for transgender women as well. And information on Pregnancy, menstruation, menopause. She talks about food and the vagina, clothes/fabrics and the vagina, cleansing products and moisturizers. There are a lot of facts and statistics so people can know what is average. There is a lot of misinformation out there, not only about the vagina but about females and sex. So she is putting everything out there and I like that.

It is definitely written like non-fiction (since it is). And tends to get a bit boring and clinical at times, but the book has a ton of great information. I could go on and on about the subjects in this book. Of course all the STI’s and infections are in here, including all the scary statistics like how many people out there have Herpes and don’t know it. I love how each chapter ends with a section called the Bottom Line and has a list of bullet points highlighting some of the main things she discussed in the chapter. Like the main points to take away. It ends nicely with a bunch more popular myths debunked. Did you know that we don’t actually need 8 glasses of water each day?

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 but to each it's own, right? What also helped with the reading were also the detailed sketches and the many details. Since this book is written by a doctor that has worked as a gynecologist for twenty-four years and therefore has a lot of experience in this field, I would highly recommend to read this book. And to be honest, this book is for everyone. Not just women. Anyone who wants to know more about this subject is not going to regret the decision to read this book.