The V Book

Starred review from June 15, 2002
For many women and their partners, "down there" is terra incognita, unlike the more obvious penis and testicles of men. How many women know the correct terms for parts of female genitalia and what itching, pain, or discharge may mean? How many dare get medical treatment for discomfort? Stewart and Spencer's guide covers it all in friendly lay language: vulvovaginal anatomy and functions, changes through the life cycle, routine self-care, sexual issues affecting the "Vs" (vulvovaginal area), pelvic exams, bothersome symptoms, and 13 chapters for specific problems. Stewart is a clinical gynecologist and medical school instructor with over 20 years' experience, 12 specializing in vulvovaginal care; Spencer is a journalist focusing on women's and family issues. This is an excellent book and a first on the subject, with good illustrations, a resource list, charts, tables, and sidebars. Say the authors, "Your private parts shouldn't be private to you." Highly recommended; a good complementary work is Rebecca Chalker's The Clitoral Truth, with extensive details about that structure in the vulva perhaps least incognita. Martha Cornog, Philadelphia

Copyright 2002 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2002
With Spencer's help in the writing, gynecologist Stewart's practical guide to the "V area" first describes the historical development of knowledge about the vulvovaginal area and, aided by occasionally striking illustrations, considers its anatomy and physiology at length. Stewart explains routine care and hygiene as well as changes to expect with aging. She urges women to "loosen up" in terms of clothing and psychology, and she stresses how important precise language is to a woman's knowledge of V-area health and to meaningful communication with doctors. She either clarifies or explodes some myths, gives substantial consideration to sex matters, and explores minor as well as major symptoms of trouble in the area. Her discussion of cancer and precancer conditions is realistic, and her advice for selecting and communicating well with a gynecologist is painstaking. The medical references she includes are meant to open and inform both physicians' and patients' minds.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)