Advance praise for
The Vagina Bible
“Gunter approachably, respectfully, and even playfully presents a huge amount of reproductive and sexual health education information to women with the assurance that they can use it.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Dr. Jen Gunter is a fountain of critically important information, and she’s funny as hell. Buy this book if you have a vagina or if you spend any time at all in reasonably close proximity to one.”
—Ayelet Waldman, New York Times bestselling author of A Really Good Day
“This book is basically everything you’ve ever wanted to know about the vagina but were afraid to ask.”
—Imani Gandy, Senior Legal Analyst, Rewire News
“The Vagina Bible—Dr. Jen Gunter’s savvy, detailed, funny, and wise guide to female health—should be required reading for every woman seeking smart information about her body. I don’t say this often, but it’s a don’t-miss book.”
—Deborah Blum, New York Times bestselling author of The Poison Squad
“Men who want to understand the experiences of their partners or provide sound guidance to their daughters should turn to The Vagina Bible. Jen Gunter offers authoritative information with her trademark clarity and good humor.”
—Carl Zimmer, author of She Has Her Mother’s Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity
“Reading The Vagina Bible is like having the realest, most honest talk ever with your best friend—if your best friend happened to be a leading expert in women’s health. I want to give this book to everyone I know.”
—Rachel Hawkins, New York Times bestselling author
“In a time where pseudoscience has a large foothold, it is vital that physicians and scientists meet readers where they live. With The Vagina Bible, Dr. Gunter has done exactly that! Her writing is rooted in science and steeped with humor and insight while also both inclusive and instructive. A vital book that will undoubtedly have a profound impact.”
—Mark Shapiro, MD, founder and host, Explore the Space podcast
“There is so much health misinformation circulating in pop culture right now that it has become difficult to tell what is real and what is nonsense. This seems particularly true in the context of women’s health. Enter Dr. Jen Gunter with her wonderful new book, The Vagina Bible. Whether she is debunking Freud or providing the lowdown on the science of sex, she provides a frank, funny, and thoroughly science-informed perspective. This is the exact kind of book the world needs right now. Gunter pulls no punches and provides a clear and concise summation of the facts on every vagina-related topic you can think of. Seriously. Everything. The world needs more Jen!”
—Professor Timothy Caulfield, author of Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything?
“Dr. Jen Gunter is the vagina’s most passionate defender and publicist. The Vagina Bible is a practical, informative, and hilarious guide to women's health, but it's also a biography of the most misunderstood and mysterious part of the human body. The vagina gets the star treatment—and it's about time!”
—Elaine Lui, @laineygossip, author of Listen to the Squawking Chicken and co-host of The Social
“The Vagina Bible is a marvel of medical writing: precise, funny, passionate, and furious. In her engaged and amusing writing voice, Dr. Gunter’s expertise be-comes accessible instead of distancing; this book will become a model for how to write about health and science, more generally.”
—Kevin Patterson, MD, author of News from the Red Desert
“Full of accurate information that separates myth from medicine, The Vagina Bible should be on every nightstand and in every hotel room.”
—Dr. Judy Melinek, co-author with T. J. Mitchell of the New York Times bestseller Working Stiff
“Dr. Gunter shines a much needed light on this very private subject, aiming to bring facts, confidence, and joy into the personal lives of readers.”
—Miranda Esmonde-White, author of Aging Backwards
“Dr. Jen Gunter's The Vagina Bible brilliantly dispels myths and imparts knowledge with large doses of wit, wisdom, and invaluable advice. This empowering and engaging resource belongs on every woman's bookshelf.”
—Ami McKay, author of The Birth House
“The Vagina Bible is written for all women but should also be read by men, and it has special relevance for health care providers, the media, and celebrities promoting 'wellness products.' It is truly a one-stop shop for the latest science and facts about the vagina and vulva.”
—Lori A. Brotto, PhD, Canada Research Chair in Women’s Sexual Health, executive director of the Women's Health Research Institute, and author of Better Sex Through Mindfulness
THE VAGINA BIBLE
The Vulva and the Vagina—Separating the Myth from the Medicine
JEN GUNTER, MD
CITADEL PRESS
Kensington Publishing Corp.
All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.
CITADEL PRESS BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 2019 Jennifer Gunter
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
The reader is advised that this book is not intended to be a substitute for an assessment by, and advice from, an appropriate medical professional(s).
CITADEL PRESS and the Citadel logo are Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.
ISBN: 978-0-8065-3931-7
Library of Congress CIP data is available.
First electronic edition: September 2019
ISBN-13: 978-0-8065-3935-5
ISBN-10: 0-8065-3935-6
For every woman
who has ever been told—usually by some dude—that she is too wet, too dry, too gross, too loose, too tight, too bloody, or too smelly.
This book is for you.
Table of Contents
Praise Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Introduction Getting Started