Period Power

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, it delivers what it promises, in the sense that your knowledge about your body as a menstruator is enhanced and thus it helps you regain your autonomy in dealing with reproductive health issues. And that can be really empowering, redefining the way we relate to our bodies and helping to prevent and identify conditions that are misdiagnosed or mistreated. Another important aspect is the use of gender-inclusive language, bringing trans and non-binary identities to the conversation about menstruation.

On the other hand, the book often falls into an infantilizing, ‘trying-to-act-cool' approach that is simply not my taste and left me with no will to continue the reading. I know it can benefit those not comfortable about their reproductive and sexual health, but it gets really annoying sometimes and the articulation of her insights with gender, racial and class inequalities ends up being a little bit superficial. Most information is also UK (and US)-centred, which means that statistics and products mentioned do not apply to other contexts.

Overall, it's a useful read for someone who lacks a basic understanding of reproductive health and wants to make improvements in their menstrual cycle. As someone who suffers from the kind of symptoms that are commonly normalised and misheard in the medical community, I felt more empowered to not stop seeking for help and to speak out about my experiences with menstruation.