Vagina Obscura

January 15, 2022
Delving into the mysteries of a woman's body. A few years ago, when she was suffering from a recurring vaginal infection, journalist Gross, former digital science editor at Smithsonian, realized she knew very little about her own body, particularly her reproductive organs. Aiming to rectify that huge gap in her knowledge, she set out to investigate. Soon, though, she discovered that women's bodies long have been seen as an enigma to scientists, physicians, and psychiatrists. Instead of producing a "fun and jaunty" book about the vagina, the author makes a lively debut with a fresh, informative examination of women's entire reproductive system, melding medical history--beginning in Hippocrates' Greece--with a wide range of interviews and biological sleuthing in research laboratories all over the world. Throughout history, Gross reports, medicine has privileged men's bodies over women's. "It was only in 1993," she writes, "following the women's health movement, that a federal mandate required researchers to include women and minorities in clinical research." Even then, research focused mostly on fertility, excluding the many other health issues that women face. Women's biology, though, has generated much recent scientific interest, which Gross conveys with enthusiasm and clarity through her conversations with gynecologists, bacteriologists, urologists, medical anthropologists, and surgeons. The author also talked with a host of women--some, for example, who were victims of genital cutting and some who have undergone reconstruction of that excision; women suffering from endometriosis and vaginal infections; women born with atypical genitalia who were surgically altered as infants; some undergoing hormone therapy and gender affirmation surgery to transition as women. In graphic detail, Gross explains the complex structure of the clitoris; the particular microbiome of the vagina; the biology of egg cells, ovaries, and the uterus. She also devotes a chapter to transgender women and the pioneering surgeons who treat them. Veve's illustrations--more Salvador Dal� than Georgia O'Keeffe--impart a sense of disquieting wonder to Gross' brisk reporting. An eye-opening biological journey.

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Starred review from March 11, 2022

Science journalist Gross delivers an enthralling and scrupulously researched poplar-science study of the vagina--its continuous conundrum, the false narratives, and, finally, new awakenings. Slander surrounding the vagina began in the incipient stages of its "discovery" by man, she writes, and it persisted, leaving the organ and the female body in a fog of mysticism and wonder. Gross's book makes a valiant attempt to bring clarity to the vagina, and it succeeds through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach. Examining the vagina through historical, scientific, and political lenses, Gross crafts a piquant narrative that is exemplary of quality science journalism and is nearly impossible to set down. It's fit for researchers, with thorough endnotes and stunning anecdotes from real vagina owners and scientists, but it remains readable and accessible for a multitude of lay audiences. Casual readers and academics alike will revel in Gross's masterful quips that accentuate the frustrating absurdity of the vagina's lore. A must-read. VERDICT Libraries catering to readers interested in history, anthropology, anatomy, and women's and gender studies will want to add this insightful and dynamic book to their collection.--Grace Caternolo

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 10, 2022
After being prescribed rat poison for a persistent yeast infection, award-winning science journalist Gross began researching the history of what medicine refers to as "the female reproductive system." Quickly realizing that this terminology was insufficient, she set out to define more accurately what it means to be a woman. Across eight topical chapters ("Desire," "Protection," "Power," "Beauty"), each focusing on a specific part of the female sexual anatomy, this volume expertly balances authoritative sources, history, and scientific data with frank, colloquial, and honest discussions of vaginas by medical professionals, scientists, and women from all walks of life, including trans women. Gross presents discussions of the clitoris, vaginal microbiome, and neovagina as stories, first introducing a medical professional and a character for the reader to follow on that chapter's journey, then crafting a compelling narrative about the anatomy in question, all grounded in medical history, those who studied it, and what has been left out of scientific knowledge. Without its provocative title, this long-overdue book would probably get lost, sent to the margins like so many other books about women's bodies, like women themselves have been marginalized throughout human history. The crucial importance of this book is further underscored in the aftermath of the reversal of Roe v. Wade, with women's right to have autonomy over their bodies in question. A stellar example of why effective scientific communication not only makes for an enjoyable read, but why it can also be vitally important to society as a whole.

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