Harvard Book Store Presents:

Dr. Jen Gunter

presenting

Blood: The Science, Medicine, and Mythology of Menstruation

in conversation with DR. BONNIE TALBERT

Harvard Book Store welcomes DR. JEN GUNTER—New York Times bestselling author of The Vagina Bible and The Menopause Manifesto—for a discussion of her new book Blood: The Science, Medicine, and Mythology of Menstruation. She will be joined in conversation by DR. BONNIE TALBERT—Interim Director of the Harvard College Women’s Center.

Ticketing

There are two ticket options for this event.

Book Included: Admission for one and one copy of Blood: The Science, Medicine, and Mythology of Menstruation pre-signed by the author.

Admission Only: Admission for one.

About Blood

Most women, transgender, and non-binary people who menstruate can expect to have hundreds of periods in a lifetime. So why is real information so hard to find? Despite its significance, most education about menstruation focuses either on increasing the chances of pregnancy or preventing it. And while both are important for many people, those who menstruate deserve to know more about their bodies than just what happens in service to reproduction. At a time when charlatans, politicians, and social media are succeeding in propagating damaging misinformation with real and devastating consequences, Dr. Jen provides the antidote with science, myth busting, and no-nonsense facts.

Not knowing how your body works makes it challenging to advocate for yourself. Consequently, many suffer in silence thinking their bodies are uniquely broken, or they turn to disreputable sources. Blood is a practical, empowering guide to what’s typical, what’s concerning, and when to seek care—recounted with expertise and frank, fearless wit that have made Dr. Jen today’s most trusted voice in gynecology.

Dr. Jen answers all your period-related questions, including: What exactly happens during menstruation? How heavy is too heavy? How much should periods hurt? and provides essential information about topics such as:

• Why do we menstruate?
• The endometrium’s (the uterine lining’s) fascinating connection to the immune system
• The impact of stress, vaccines, and health on the menstrual cycle
• Menstrual migraines, PMS, and period diarrhea (yes, it’s a thing, unfortunately)
• Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
• Fibroids and other causes of heavy bleeding
• Endometriosis and the latest treatments
• Legitimate menstrual products, and the facts behind toxic shock syndrome

Blood is about much more than biology. It’s an all-in-one, revolutionary guide that will change the way we think about, talk about—and don’t talk about—our bodies and our well-being.

Praise for Blood

“This book is the brilliant and long needed corrective that we have waited for, since the first time we stuffed a box of pads into a three-ply paper bag and slunk out of a pharmacy. Never again.” —Samantha Bee on Blood

“Funny, erudite, compassionate, and righteous—sometimes all in a single sentence—Jen Gunter is the period expert we need right now.” —Emily Nagoski, PhD, New York Timesbestselling author of Come Together on Blood

“Clear, candid, and crucial information about a bodily process that has often been used as an excuse to shun, degrade, dismiss, and define human beings. Gunter deftly shovels away the patriarchal BS that’s piled up around menstruation and digs into the most effective ways to live with and manage it, treat conditions related to it, and move past the myths concocted about it. An essential resource for anyone who menstruates or thinks menstruation is a mystery.” —Emily Willingham, PhD, author of Phallacy on Blood

Masking Policy

Masks are encouraged but not required for this event.

Dr. Bonnie Talbert

Dr. Bonnie Talbert (she/her) has been at Harvard since 2009 and has held a variety of academic, administrative, and service positions. She has taught in the Academic Success Program, an FGLI (first-generation, low-income) pre-matriculation program at Columbia; at Harvard, she has taught a First-Year Seminar on friendship, an Engaged Scholarship course on altruism, a Social Studies course on political theory, and a study abroad course in Croatia and Bosnia. She has a Ph.D. in philosophy and a Professional Certificate in Restorative Justice and Leadership. She serves on the Public Service Committee at Harvard, as a Peace Commissioner for the City of Cambridge, and as a volunteer for Communities for Restorative Justice. She is currently serving as the Interim Director of the Harvard College Women’s Center and welcomes all students to spaces and events that promote gender equity.

Photo Credit: Kris Snibbe

Dr. Jen Gunter

Dr. Jen Gunter is an internationally bestselling author, obstetrician, and gynecologist with more than three decades of experience as a vulvar and vaginal diseases expert. Considered “the world’s most famous—and outspoken—gynecologist” (The Guardian), her New York Times and USA Today bestselling books, The Vagina Bible and The Menopause Manifesto, have been translated into 25 languages. She is the host of Jensplaining, a CBC/Amazon Prime video series that highlights the impact of medical misinformation on women, and the recipient of the 2020 NAMS Media Award from The North American Menopause Society. Her 2020 TED Talk, “Why Can’t We Talk About Periods?” received more than two million views in its first six months, leading to the launch of her popular podcast on the TED Audio Collective, “Body Stuff with Dr. Jen Gunter.” Originally from Winnipeg, Canada, she lives in Northern California and can be found online at DrJenGunter.com.

Photo Credit: Talia Herman