This book was endlessly fascinating - I learned so much about a topic I know very little about (despite it being incredibly important).

This was a fucking delight.

No, seriously.

Alright, I won't hold it against you. You might think it's strange to have read a book about STIs with a shit-eating grin on my face the entire time, but that is the magic of Ina Park's writing. There is no shame in this book; in fact, a huge portion of it is engaging discussion about how to dispel the unnecessary shame so many of us have about STIs - especially the virtually harmless ones - while still acknowledging that safe sex practices are important and should always be improving, not just for health reasons, but for pleasure. That's a hard balance to strike, but Park does it effortlessly thought anecdote, history, and cold, hard facts, all presented with just enough humor to keep you smiling. At the same time, Park does not shy away from the darker parts of sex, the parts that deal with discrimination and the absolute rejection, historical and modern, of people who suffer from STIs.

By the end of Strange Bedfellows, I could only say that I was left wanting more. Much like... well, you know.

I never thought I would describe a read about STDs as gripping and even funny, but this one undeniably is.

While I have previously read about sexual health and sexually transmitted infection, the resources I had come across are very... sciency and straightforward in a judgmental way; don't catch an STD because they are bad, and if you still catch it after our presentation of these preventative methods, you didn't listen.

This book is nothing like that!! It defies so many taboo beliefs and myths about STDs and people who have them, taking these conditions real and manageable. It doesn't covertly stigmatize people who have them, but rather makes STDs more understandable and human. Strange Bedfellows is a well of information about these infections, the origins of stigma, pubic hair, vaginal microbiome, sailors and sex parties, our public health care, medication and much more.

Apart from being highly informative, it's simply an absolutely fascinating read.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I expected this to be a bit more similar to Mary Roach’s impeccable work. I was a little let down as it wasn’t quite that easy to read, more science-y than I expected. That said, it was entertaining for sure and I learned a lot!

Read if you: Want a moving, occasionally funny, entertaining, and eye-opening look at STDs, people who live with them, and the medical staff that treats them.

Librarians/booksellers: This is a much needed resource; not preachy, full of intriguing stories and information, and totally unique.

Many thanks to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this title because I've always wished there were more accessible popular science books about STIs, but most are either too academic or too prescriptive, and this is an area in which whatever formal sex education the majority of people get seems to be consistently lacking. I'm happy to say that Strange Bedfellows was exactly what I'd hoped for! While written for an adult audience, I would also recommend to teens or anyone looking to learn more about the history and context of STDs. My suggestion would be to purchase in both print and ebook, so that people who see it on the shelf and are interested but don't want to be seen borrowing can check it out online; educating people is the first step in changing the stigma around this subject, and another reason why we need books like this one so much.