This YA book came up in my suggestions on Amazon recently, and I was immediately intrigued by it.
It centers on Delia, a teenage girl who is struggling with "part of growing up" as everyone likes to tell her.
They don't see the intense pain that she endures and they don;t know about her desperation to find a doctor who will a) actually believe her and b) find the cause of it.
Every doctor she goes to is dismissive, and only offer platitudes like "It's normal" "It's part of being a woman" "You just aren't used to it yet" "We'll keep an eye on it" etc
Why does being female equal the expectation to endure pain?
We are expected to endure menstruation (which starts younger and younger now), pregnancy, childbirth, perimenopause, menopause and it's just seen as 'normal.'
Don't even get me started on how the medical industry is antiquated when it specifically comes to pregancy and childbirth (I don't mean technology- I mean the mindset)
Not long ago, there was a big trend on TikTok and Instagram about women who had IUD procedures, and they were given the advice to "take some Tylenol" (or similar) and it was mind boggling to read the sheer amount of comments confirming that it's widespread and well-known.
We like to say that women's health is important, and there are all sorts of advances in technology and biochemistry available, and yet almost every female I have ever talked to can come up with at least one example when her pain (physical as well as mental) was ignored, or minimized.
Every teenage girl should read this book. And every teenage boy. And anyone with a daughter. And anyone in the health care industry.
AND (not OR) AND maybe we should just start believing women when they say they are in pain, or something feels wrong.
