| Reviewed
by Erica Carr
I was somewhat hesitant to review this book, given that
I am not the target audience — i.e. a female between
the ages of 12 and 24. However, given my background in women's
health and sexuality, I was asked for my feedback, so here
goes.
First, the concept of this book is wonderful. As the back
cover describes, it is a girl's guide to healthy sexuality
written by eight women who researched areas of sex (relationships,
periods, birth control, pregnancy/miscarriages, abortion,
sexually transmitted infections, sexual assault, and resources)
and gathered personal stories, poetry, and artwork from other
young women. Concepts of empowerment, honesty, communication,
and diversity are well covered here. The reader is encouraged
to take control of her sexuality — to ask questions,
to explore her feelings and body, and to make known her needs
and boundaries within a relationship(sexual or otherwise).
The anecdotes and artwork are very honest, compelling, and
inspirational, covering difficult topics like sexual orientation,
abortion, and assault. In this way, the book is great.
On the down side, some of the more medical information is
lacking. The section on birth control is particularly weak.
The description of birth control methods is rather subjective
and out of date; the cervical cap, Lea's shield, and Norplant
are no longer available in Canada. There is no mention of
the Nuva-ring or Evra patch which are currently available.
The Emergency Contraceptive Pill of choice now, Plan B, is
two pills taken at once, preferably within 72 hours of "the
act" and has fewer side effects than its predecessor.
Regarding abortion, the medical abortion can be carried out
5 — 6 ½ weeks following the last period, not
3 weeks as stated, and manual vacuum aspiration can be performed
up to 55 days after said period. A pap test does NOT test
for infections; it is a screening test for cervical cancer,
detecting cell changes in the cervix that could indicate
malignancy. Finally, the resource guide fails to include
the Bay Centre for Birth Control — the largest birth
control clinic in North America that provides sexual health
services (including abortion access) for women right here
in TO.
The problem with a book such as this is that technology
and resources can change within the time of publication,
and medical misinformation can be presented when non-medical
writers and editors are at the helm. That being said, the
concept of this book is terrific and the ideas and values
it engenders is powerful and of value. This is still a recommended
read for any young woman — just use the resources for
better info on the medical stuff.
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