Sherry A. Ross - She-ology - the definitive guide to womens intimate health. period

she-olo g y

The definitive guide to womens intimate health. period.

Sherry A. Ross, MD

Foreword by Reese Witherspoon

A SAVIO REPUBLIC BOOK

She-ology:
The Definitive Guide to Womens Intimate Health. Period.

2017 by Sherry A. Ross, MD

All Rights Reserved

ISBN: 978-1-68261-240-8

ISBN (eBook): 978-1-68261-241-5

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author and publisher.

The data for the chart on page 185 was compiled by ABC News.

Cover Design by Quincy Avilio

Illustrations by Megumi Wada

Interior Design and Composition by Greg Johnson/Textbook Perfect

Published in the United States of America

TABLE OF CONTENTS

For my parents, Lorraine and Martin Ross, who have always encouraged me to dream big and reach for the stars, your love, inspiration and support knows no bounds.

In memory of my sister, Deena.

Throughout this book, you will see this symbol VVL , which represents my Visual Vaginal Library, or VVL. This is a library of images housed on my website that show women (and men) how different vaginal conditions look, up close and personal. For those readers who are interested, these images may be fascinating, scary, and captivatingall at the same time. They may help you to visualize these conditions if you choose to do a little more research. When you see the VVL you can visit https://www.drsherry.com/visual-vaginal-library/ for images relating to the text.

INTRODUCTION

V agina. Cooch. Va Jay Jay.

Dont look away. Even if you blush, thats okay. Seriously, I want to talk about this. I mean, whats a girl gotta do around here to get a little respect? We had our own one-woman play, Vagina Monologues by the brilliant Eve Ensler. Weve been celebrated by artists and poets and pornographers for centuries, and yet, talking about the mighty V outside of doctors offices and bedrooms has remained a major taboo. I think thats wrong. And I think its time for a change, yesterday. Heres the thing. A healthy and confident vagina is a beautiful thing, the seat of our power, our sexuality, and our ability to create life. And a vagina that needs a little attentionmedical, emotional, or good old-fashioned common senseis nothing to inspire shame. Its part of the cycle of our lives, how we grow and mature into the many stages of our femininity. So why not embrace it, love it, wax itor actively choose not to and let the big bush really come back into styleand above all else, talk about it, with our doctors, our partners, and among ourselves?

Ive always been interested in hearing the stories of those who went unnoticed by most other peopleeven back in elementary school, I was drawn to the skinny, quiet boy with glasses or the overweight girl who hid behind her bangs. I courted these outsiders to be my friends because they seemed so much more compelling than the flashier, more popular kids in my class. From an equally young age, I knew I was going to be a doctor (after I outgrew my original desire to be Barbra Streisand). I went on rounds with my physician father as a little girl, and not just for the free donuts. When I was pre-med in college, I initially thought I would be a psychiatrist. But by the time I did my residency at USC, Id found my real calling: Obstetrics and Gynecology, and more specifically, the path to empowering my fellow women, one vagina at a time.

I guess you could say vagina power is my lifes work. Ive been an OB-GYN for twenty-four years now, twenty-eight if you count my four-year residency at USC. I consider it the best job in the world because I get to talk to women every day about all aspects of their health and wellbeing, vaginas and all. I get to hear about the children I delivered now going off to college. Not to mention all of the heartfelt accounts of family reunions and fifty-year wedding anniversaries, and the tragic stories of infidelities and sudden deaths, all of which have become important to how I physically, and emotionally, care for my patients. Thats exactly why I love what I do: it allows me to be there for women of all ages, medically and non-medically. Also, I get to bring life into the world. There is literally no greater moment than handing a baby to its mother, father, or mother(s). After twenty-eight years of baby delivering, I still tear up.

So, yes, nothing is more important to me than women, and my approach to their care is holistic to say the least. When I see my patients, many of whom have been coming to me for more than twenty-four years, my real concern is what happened with their controlling mother-in-law, their daughter with the eating disorder, or their husband with the midlife crisis who wants a trial separation. Connecting with women and their families, and being their emotional support and sounding board, is not only my favorite part of my job. Its also how I help women to take care of themselves and stay healthy in all aspects of their lives. Thanks to my decades of experience, I know what questions to ask and what suggestions to make, in order to help women achieve their optimum physical and emotional health.

From my perspective, our vaginas are everything. I mean they are one of the most crucial parts of achieving real wellbeing, as they are a metaphor for who we are. And yet, as of right now, many of us can barely choke out the word. Ive seen it again and again. Even in the privacy of my examining room, with the door closed, and no one there but my patient and me, so many women cant say vagina, or ask me their real questions about their body and how it interacts with their lives.

Whether these bashful vaginas result from outdated attitudes in our culture, or are partly responsible for creating societal norms, its even worse outside my examining room. With porn on the rise, vaginas are everywhere. And yet, no one seems to want to admit how this new prevalence, and its resulting misconceptions about sex and the vagina isor isntchanging our romantic and sexual relationships and our relationships to our bodies and ourselves.

At the same time, our approach to vaginas in our society is undeniably juvenile. In June 2012, a bill was presented on the House floor seeking to regulate the use of the word vagina after Michigan Representative Lisa Brown was banned from speaking because she used the term in a debate over an anti-abortion bill.

Browns comment was so offensive, I dont even want to say it in front of women, complained Representative Mike Callton (R: Michigan). I would not say that in mixed company.

Really? Im astounded a ban would even be considered on a word that is, technically, a medical term. Also, in a larger sense, it defines women. I cant help but see this as a deliberate suppression of women, even just metaphorically, and feel inspired to fight back. In the course of writing this book, I realized how resistant mainstream media outlets are to having the word vagina said aloud on the airways. How can we best take care of our bodies and ourselves if we cant even say the word? Lets change that reality in the name of womens health, especially since there doesnt seem to be a problem in mainstream advertising for the treatment of erectile dysfunction!

All of this has led me to wonder why were so squeamish about the term vagina, and what we can do to reclaim the wordand the vagina itselfwhile also taking back our bodies for our health, pleasure, and sense of personal power. Im talking about an uprising here, ladies! Thankfully, there is some good news on this front. I spend the majority of my day with women, and Im thrilled by a developing trend: many of my patients are now forward-thinking ladies who want to empower themselves and their vaginas. Its simply a matter of giving ourselves permission to go there, which more and more women are now willing to do.