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A review by k_lenn
The Vagina Book: An Owner's Manual for Taking Care of Your Down There by Thinx
3.0
Welp, I guess I’m not as period positive as I thought— more period neutral. Is that a thing? I think menstruation shouldn’t be shamed and it shouldn’t be the taboo topic it is, but it *is* blood coming from your genitals. It’s bio-hazardous waste, and it should be disposed of properly.
With that in mind, I’m sure you can imagine my shock when a woman proudly writes about the time where, as a child, she’d leave used, bloody pads “on the back of the toilet, on the floor, or in my white canopy bed” because she was a “rebel” and “doesn’t hide anything.” (Imagine a child leaving feces-covered or urine-soaked toilet paper everywhere, and then speaking about it proudly as an adult? NO bodily function should be shamed— they’re natural, vital to our survival as a species, and we can’t stop them— but that doesn’t prevent the fluids or solids from those functions from being unsanitary and needing proper disposal.) The book also mentions free-bleeding, which I’m not a fan of, for reasons stated earlier. In your house? Sure, you do you, but please don’t do it in public where your blood (if it soaks through your clothing and onto things other people will touch) poses a risk to others.
At the end of the period sex segment, they mention how only you know your body and to do what makes *YOU* comfortable, completely ignoring the other party— or parties. They need to be fully willing, too. It’s okay for a partner to not want to engage in sex when blood is involved, for whatever reason. It’s okay for them to feel uncomfortable and to say no because of the blood. No, they’re not shaming you for having a period just for declining and no, it isn’t The Patriarchy™’s fault.
I would’ve liked to go over the modern options for hygiene products and how to use them, including reusable cloth pads that are often overlooked. There’s a spread about the history of period products, but not a list of current options with explanations, pros and cons, and tips on how to choose what’s best for you which I think would’ve been super helpful.
As for positives:
While my childhood was pretty traumatic, I feel very fortunate that I had very sex-positive parents who made sure I knew I could ask them about anything. I also recall having pretty in-depth sex-ed, which makes me feel even luckier— this (unfortunately) isn’t the norm. Although this book didn’t teach me much personally, I’m certain it'll help a lot of people learn more about their bodies and its sexual/reproductive functions.
A couple things that it did teach me, though, was about menopause. As I’m a few decades away from that I never really looked into it, but I now feel like I have a better understanding of the women I love and what they’re going through or have gone through. I love the tips on how to survive it, and I’ll definitely spread the info! :-)
Even though I didn't agree with everything, I think books like The Vagina Book are important and I do recommend reading it.
A big thank you to the publisher, Chronicle Books, for allowing me to read this title in exchange for an honest review.
With that in mind, I’m sure you can imagine my shock when a woman proudly writes about the time where, as a child, she’d leave used, bloody pads “on the back of the toilet, on the floor, or in my white canopy bed” because she was a “rebel” and “doesn’t hide anything.” (Imagine a child leaving feces-covered or urine-soaked toilet paper everywhere, and then speaking about it proudly as an adult? NO bodily function should be shamed— they’re natural, vital to our survival as a species, and we can’t stop them— but that doesn’t prevent the fluids or solids from those functions from being unsanitary and needing proper disposal.) The book also mentions free-bleeding, which I’m not a fan of, for reasons stated earlier. In your house? Sure, you do you, but please don’t do it in public where your blood (if it soaks through your clothing and onto things other people will touch) poses a risk to others.
At the end of the period sex segment, they mention how only you know your body and to do what makes *YOU* comfortable, completely ignoring the other party— or parties. They need to be fully willing, too. It’s okay for a partner to not want to engage in sex when blood is involved, for whatever reason. It’s okay for them to feel uncomfortable and to say no because of the blood. No, they’re not shaming you for having a period just for declining and no, it isn’t The Patriarchy™’s fault.
I would’ve liked to go over the modern options for hygiene products and how to use them, including reusable cloth pads that are often overlooked. There’s a spread about the history of period products, but not a list of current options with explanations, pros and cons, and tips on how to choose what’s best for you which I think would’ve been super helpful.
As for positives:
While my childhood was pretty traumatic, I feel very fortunate that I had very sex-positive parents who made sure I knew I could ask them about anything. I also recall having pretty in-depth sex-ed, which makes me feel even luckier— this (unfortunately) isn’t the norm. Although this book didn’t teach me much personally, I’m certain it'll help a lot of people learn more about their bodies and its sexual/reproductive functions.
A couple things that it did teach me, though, was about menopause. As I’m a few decades away from that I never really looked into it, but I now feel like I have a better understanding of the women I love and what they’re going through or have gone through. I love the tips on how to survive it, and I’ll definitely spread the info! :-)
Even though I didn't agree with everything, I think books like The Vagina Book are important and I do recommend reading it.
A big thank you to the publisher, Chronicle Books, for allowing me to read this title in exchange for an honest review.