A review by keepcalmblogon
It's Not Hysteria: Everything You Need to Know About Your Reproductive Health (but Were Never Told) by Karen Tang

informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

This is the first audiobook I read as part of Macmillan’s Audio Influencer Program, and while I don’t usually read nonfiction, this book drew me to it for not only being out of my comfort zone but also for being relevant to me as a woman and person with a uterus.  

My first impression was that I was glad it was read by the author, @karentangmd , because I think someone unfamiliar with medicine would have been missing some je ne sais quoi quality that Dr. Tang possessed in order to make the content sound conversational and less dry or text-booky. My second impression was how glad I was that Dr. Tang addressed her use of inclusive language at the beginning of the book and stuck to her plan of inclusive dialogue throughout.  

I don’t usually immediately want to share a book I just read with everyone I know, everyone has different tastes and timetables, or may not enjoy reading 😱, but if I could afford to gift this book to every woman and person with a uterus in my life, I absolutely would without a doubt.

Sure, there was a lot of information in here that I was lucky enough to have already learned either from school or life itself, but as with most things, there was so much more information I didn’t even know I needed in my life—and not everyone is so privileged with the education they receive! I appreciated that this book didn’t come off as preachy or fear-mongering. I also feel like it was totally kismet this book came into my life when it did as I’ve had a little health thing come up that this book made me feel much less stressed about because it was so informative.

In the Acknowledgments, Dr. Tang states that she wants this book to start a movement to transform gynecologic health and understanding, and I strongly believe it can and it should. I give this book all the stars and will recommend it to everyone I know who requires gynecologic care.