The Pelvic Pain Bible!

If you are a uterus-owner who has ever had pain 'down there' you are in luck.
When Sex Hurts is the definitive guide for navigating pelvic pain in a world where, quite frankly, there hasn't been enough research. And a whole lotta stigma.

Revised from the previous version to include more up-to-date research on pelvic pain conditions Doctors Andrew, Caroline, Irwin and Jill have created an encyclopedia of causes, conditions and treatment approaches for everyone with mild passing interest to understand. At one point I even picked up the audio edition in an effort to push through the various medical terms and conditions that would otherwise trip me up.

In this instance, however, a physical copy is the way to go. There were several places throughout with charts, links, worksheets, questionnaires, and downright useful information that I would have loved to copy, highlight, bookmark, or share with my primary care doctor.

Because yes, this book even empowers you to help work on a holistic treatment plan with your regular providers even if they aren't specialized in the field. Why? Because few are, and you deserve to live pain free.

Unfortunately, there is not a lot of information available for regendered patients which is addressed at the top. Hopefully this will be a large part of the update in the next edition. Otherwise, I cannot recommend picking this book up enough. It has definitely given me insight into my own history of aches and pains (day-to-day) beyond the blanket 'it's endo we don't want to do surgery' approach to gynacology.

I now have a list of resources and references to start my own road to recovery.
One of the few books that I have ever been able to call a life-changer.

[Thank you to netGalley and Hachette Books for a free copy of this read in exchange for an honest review.]

This was a very informative book and I learned a lot reading it. As someone who suffers from vaginismus, this helped me feel so much more validated in how my pain comes across with partners. This is a good book to read especially if you’re the partner of someone who feels pain during intercourse.

This book was really insightful. It was different than anything I've read in the past. It really did impact my reading life in a positive way.

Due to a nice blend of assault and purity culture, I developed pelvic pain somewhere in the last decade and felt guilt over it more than anything else. As a culture, we don't talk about this kind of pain at all. It feels like a burden, deeply shameful. I'm very grateful I came across this book. The more I learn about pelvic pain, and from experts, the better. I highly recommend this to anyone struggling.

So I have pelvic floor dysfunction and I have always felt misunderstood and incredibly isolated. This book was super helpful to me and made me feel seen in ways I never could've imagined. Thank you to the many authors for their work.

This is an incredible book, greatly needed by an unknown number of females, but more than we might imagine. It is amazing to read how many different reasons there might be pain during sex. It is packed with information, such as not to treat yeast infections on our own. The product the writers recommend for this condition is oral antifungals such as fluconazole instead of tropical antifungals. Some of the surprising professionals who can help treat pain include dermatologists and pelvic floor physical therapists .I read this book, seeking the future outlook for a young lady who was sexually assaulted when she was young. There is so much information that it will be quickly seen as a very valuable resource. There is hope for those suffering pain during sex.
I received this book from the publishers and NetGalley. My thoughts are my own.

This book is really informative and found so much information that was helpful to me personally. However, I found myself really needed to pace myself to take it all in so the read became a lot longer than I thought.

Very informative book about a tense subject. I appreciate all the information. I'm glad this book exists because this subject needs to be talked about and understood a lot more

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is an exceptional work of nonfiction. I feel that all individuals with vaginas and those that have relationships with people with vaginas should read this. It is accessible and provides important information that I'm sure many have never heard before.

Having suffered from extreme pelvic pain myself, I found this book to be incredibly informative and well-researched, and most importantly, compassionate. I wish I had had this book 20 years ago! Definitely recommended for all who suffer, and their family members!

Being allowed to review this book meant a lot to me as I am a reviewer who has a genitopelvic pain condition. When Sex Hurts doesn't just explain the physiological aspects of experiencing pelvic pain, it dives into the emotional and psychological components that often get overlooked. The authors did an amazing job of not only validating these conditions and the pain that accompanies them but also encouraging us to continue our journey to find what works for us medically and sexually. This book has allowed me to understand more about myself and my body. I appreciated the medical diagrams that they added as well.

This was such an amazing book! It was so informative and so well written. I loved that it was easily laid out and simple to follow. I think every woman/person with these issues should read this book, as it's so helpful to learn about our bodies.

The book details conditions that can explain why we might have pain during sex. It lays out the whys, the whats, the whos and the whens. There are so many possibilities as to why sex might hurt, and this book leaves no stone unturned. I love that this topic was covered, because it isn't always an easy topic to delve into. But, we need to know these things in order to feel better and enjoy ourselves, and to also stay healthy. I know it can be embarrassing or even taboo to talk about these things, but it shouldn't be! This book helps with the stereotypes, the myths, the questions and the realities of what we face. This is a guide that is a must read for those struggling with this common issue.

Each author has their pronouns next to their names, which I thought was a great touch. There were female authors, as well as male authors, which I appreciated, despite the fact that this book is geared towards individuals with vaginas. As someone who has suffered from pelvic pain, endometriosis, interstitial cystitis and mast cell activation syndrome, it was refreshing and so appreciated that these topics were discussed in depth. I also loved that the authors made the connection between gut health and pelvic pain, as this isn't often associated but the links are certainly there. There was an anatomy lesson at the beginning of the book, which I thought was great, as we need to know what parts we have to fully understand our bodies and how to adequately help them. Some people with vaginas still don't know and that's okay; we're always learning and there's no shame in learning even more about our bodies to better help ourselves and live our best lives.

There is a section in the book that discusses trauma (particularly sexual trauma, but also other forms of trauma) and its link to why sex might hurt. I say this as a trigger warning for those who may be bothered by this subject material, but also because I'm so glad this was discussed, as some people with pelvic pain/painful sex may not be aware that there is a strong link between these two. This discussion is a neccesary one and I'm so glad the topic was covered so that others may make that leap and get the help they may need.

Overall, I thought this book was outstanding and so informative. I would highly recommend to anyone! Special thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Go for the advanced review copy of this wonderful book.