National Women's Health Awareness Month

Dearest Bookworms,

It is National Women's Health Month, our physical well being is just as important as our mental well being. I want to note, that while the official title for this awareness says Women that this is applicable to anyone with female anatomy, the following book list will be reflective of that. 

This booklist will contain titles related to overall womens health, but we also want to highlight Menstrual Hygiene Day (May 28th) and Period Poverty Awareness Week (May 12-18) in this post. The Library is a big advocate in fighting Period Poverty and equiping menstruating persons with knowledge and supplies free of cost. You can learn more about the Cycle Alliance and the libraries fight against period poverty here: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/event-series/cycle-alliance

1. Women's Health All-In-One for Dummies A complete guide to total wellness, for women of all ages...Brought to you by experts from all over the world, this book gives you all the information you need to feel great and live longer, including detailed coverage of PCOS, sex, gut health, pregnancy, perimenopause, menopause, breast cancer, and other women's health issues...[Contains] up-to-date information on staying fit, preventing disease, understanding common medical problems, and getting state-of-the-art care
2. Rebel bodies : a guide to the gender health gap revolution by Sarah Graham An inclusive and empowering manifesto for change in women's healthcare--exploring the systemic and deep rooted sexism within medicine, and offering actionable ways for women to advocate for ourselves and others and get the diagnosis and treatment we need
3. All in her head : the truth and lies early medicine taught us about women's bodies and why it matters today by Elizabeth Comen For as long as medicine has been a practice, women's bodies have been treated like objects to be examined and ignored, idealized and sexualized, shamed, subjugated, mutilated, and dismissed. The notion that female bodies are flawed inversions of the male ideal lingers on, as do the pervasive societal stigmas and ignorance that shape women's health and relationships with their own bodies. The author draws back the curtain on the collective medical history of women to reintroduce us to our whole bodies: how they work, the actual doctors and patients whose perspectives and experiences laid the foundation for today's medical thought, and the many oversights that remain unaddressed. She examines the eleven organ systems to share unique and untold stories, drawing upon medical texts and journals, interviews with expert physicians, and her own observations from treating thousands of women.
4. Heavy flow : breaking the curse of menstruation by Amanda Laird Your menstrual cycle is your fifth vital sign - a barometer of health and wellness that is as telling as your pulse or blood pressure. Yet most of us see our periods as nothing more than a source of inconvenience, shame, and stigma. The reasons for this are vast and complex and many are rooted in misogyny. The fact is, women around the world are taught the bare minimum about menstruation, and the messages they do receive are negative: that periods are painful and gross, turn us into hormonal messes, and shouldn't be discussed. By examining the history of period shame and stigma and its effects on women's health and wellness today, and providing a crash course in menstrual self-care, Heavy Flow aims to lift the veil on menstruation, change the narrative, and break the "curse" once and for all.
5. Endometriosis : a guidebook for girls  by Tamer Seckin This book will be the only comprehensive and accessible guide for young women and girls who are or may be struggling with the physical, psychological, and social effects of endometriosis"-- Secking explains what endometriosis is, in terms that adolescents can understand. Endo is not just part of 'becoming a woman', and many women have been diagnosed for decades. It is a physically and mentally debilitating disease that currently affects 176 million women of childbearing age worldwide. Young women need to know the truth about the disease so they can overcome their fears, advocate for their own health, and begin the quest of healing
6. A teen's guide to gut health : the low-FODMAP way to tame IBS, Crohn's, colitis, and other digestive disorders by Rachel Meltzer Warren Aimed at teens experiencing GI distress, including IBS, Crohn's disease and colitis, a quick and accessible guide explains a two-part elimination diet to help them identify which foods are causing discomfort and offers meal plans, shopping lists and easy recipes to help them transition and find relief.

Happy reading!

Sincerly, Your Friendly Neighborhood Librarian,

Katrina