Women’s bodies: much objectified, little understood.
At least, that’s the conclusion drawn by Norwegian medical students Nina Brochmann and Ellen Stokken Dahl. Wryly they point to centuries of research conducted, yes, mainly by men, and suggest if half the population suffered agonising pain in the testicles every month, we would know the precise cause.
Gender politics aside, The Wonder Down Under is Brochmann and Stokken Dahl’s accessible explanation of the female reproductive system, ranging from why sex is pleasurable, to detailing conception and contraception (eggs aren’t as passive as you might think), to advice on STIs.
Its authors were inspired by Giulia Enders’ 2014 work, Gut and while some sections are unavoidably technical, the book is no-nonsense, funny – the pair run a blog, so can write engagingly – and eager to inform without judgment.
It’s perhaps more of a reference text than a read-through, but in a world where Google is as trusted as a GP, it’s a vital publication and deserves to be a hit.
