The Menopause Manifesto

June 7, 2021
Gynecologist Gunter (The Vagina Bible) helps women navigate the ins and outs of menopause in this delightfully conversational and strongly feminist guide. “My manifesto,” she writes, “is for every woman to have the knowledge that I had to help them with their own menopause,” and she begins with a thorough and fascinating survey of a woman’s reproductive stages, explaining menopause as “an evolutionary adaptation that is part of the survival of the species.” She offers advice for dealing with hot flashes (covering both pharmaceutical and nonmedication options), postmenopausal weight gain (genetics, poor sleep, and stress can contribute), and osteoporosis (exercise helps hugely), and breaks down the science behind menopausal hormone therapy. Gunter isn’t shy about revealing ineffective and possibly dangerous menopause remedies she sees celebrities hawking, such as much-touted bioidentical hormones, and in so doing provides a great service to readers having trouble sorting through their choices. Plain talk and valuable information abound: “The liver isn’t weak or diseased because it doesn’t beat like the heart, and women aren’t diseased because the ovaries stop making estrogen.” Readers looking to separate menopausal fact from fiction should take note. Agent: Jill Marr, Sandra Dijkstra Literary.