12 Top Books about Women’s Health You Need to Read (ASAP)

Working in a bookstore means I’m ready with recommendations at any moment.

So, I put those skills to use and curated a list of the best books about women’s health. Books I’d consider essential reads for any person curious about working in women’s health spaces or fundamental aspects of women’s bodies. Some of these books I’ve read myself, while others I have on good authority are indeed must-reads.

Books that, in my opinion (and you can include longform articles here, too), contain the breadth and depth necessary to understand any given topic better.

Especially if you write about said topic or want to start your own company in said field.

Often, the answers to your questions lie between pages, and it’s our responsibility to crack open these books (or download an audiobook if you’re so inclined) curated by women’s health experts and people who’ve spent considerable time connecting the dots.

Because books aren’t stagnant.

They’re meant to move.

To change and stretch minds.

To help people consider new possibilities.

That’s why, when regimes and political parties rise and fall, often the first things to go are books with opposing opinions. When you control what people read, you control how they think and what they think about.

But that’s a tale for another time.

All that said, reading a book about women’s health should propel you forward.

Into a new way of thinking about global menstrual health.

Into calling your representatives to advocate for free period supplies in public bathrooms.

Into talking about the women’s health research gap with your family, friends, and coworkers.

Books are powerful tools.

Let’s use them wisely.

Must-Read Books about Women’s Health

Rebel Bodies by Sarah Graham

I found Rebel Bodies while doing one of those impossible Google searches for things you hope exist but aren’t surprised when your search comes up empty. To my delight, my search for “books on the women’s health gap” turned up Graham’s latest publication: a compilation of chapters addressing how women's health remains overlooked and why. She provides a thorough investigation bound to leave you enraged yet hopeful for the future.

Doing Harm by Maya Dusenberry

The title says it all. In a field where the overarching premise is to do the opposite, women often question their experiences leaving annual checkups and receiving prescriptions for antidepressants when they’re sure, really sure, there’s more at play. Our pain isn’t normal. Our years-long search for a diagnosis shouldn’t be normal.

Dusenberry discusses the lack of research on women’s health, “hysteria,” and a look behind the scenes of what led to biases against women’s health conditions. We need to change how we provide healthcare for women, and Dusenberry’s combination of careful analysis will help lead the charge.

Bleed by Tracey Lindeman

Oh, endometriosis.

After watching the documentary Below the Belt, I gained a clear understanding of just how debilitating this diagnosis can be for women. And, to no one’s surprise, it lacks working, cost-effective treatments. Lindeman knows first-hand the consequences, which she outlines brilliantly (and with a fabulous sense of humor) in her book.

Through Lindeman’s eyes, you learn about the harm the healthcare industry causes women, particularly women with difficult-to-diagnose conditions like endometriosis, and how endometriosis can affect millions upon millions of women yet receive little attention or funding. Like many of these books, you’ll learn lots, get angry, and want to shout solutions from the rooftops. Or maybe that’s just me.

You Just Need to Lose Weight by Aubrey Gordon

Aubrey Gordon co-hosts a fabulous podcast, Maintenance Phase, and published her debut novel in January 2023. It pushes back against the myths of weight loss we’ve been led to believe and provides actionable ways to advocate for weight-inclusive health practices. Women face a barrage of weight loss messages that can cause significant harm and often have no place in women’s health spaces. Reading Aubrey’s book can help reframe common arguments about weight loss and how you think about weight.

Fatphobia? We don’t know her.

Sex Matters by Alyson McGregor

That it does.

Particularly when it comes to healthcare, as McGregor outlines in her book. The premise reminded me of the argument that we separate pediatrics and geriatrics from “general health,” so why not women? Each side has pros and cons, but, as McGregor confirms through her research and experience as an M.D., women's health often requires a different approach than standard treatment suggests. It doesn’t help that most studies and even prescription amounts are based on the standard male body.

What I appreciate most about Sex Matters is its clear path from education to action: what women need to know about their health and how they can change how they receive care.

Entitled by Kate Manne

This book transported me to a whole new plane of rage. Care to join? Pick up a copy and dive into Kate Manne’s curated chapters on how men feel entitled to, well, pretty much everything. She dedicates multiple chapters to women’s bodies and health.

One paragraph cannot and should not suffice to sum up this gem, so I dedicated an entire post to its brilliance. You can read that here.

Who Is Wellness For? By Fariha Roisin

My housemate got me this as a gift for my birthday, and I can’t think of another book that better summarizes my recurring questions. When we come out with new health resources, new tech for women, who benefits? Who gets access? Who are costly subscription-based apps benefiting—those who need it most? I hazard a guess that’s a no.

Roisin takes us back to the origins of yoga and meditation, for example, and challenges us to question how it’s been influenced and used by Western culture and the ensuing repercussions. And that’s just the second chapter. Roisin divides her book into sections that focus on the mind, body, self-care, and justice and investigates particular instances within each where wellness got twisted and elevated for a particular people and use. It’s more than a thought-provoking read.

You won’t come out of this one the same—and that’s a good thing.

Pain and Prejudice by Gabrielle Jackson

All it took was seeing the title at a book sale for this one to jump into my hands. Gabrielle Jackson, a reporter diagnosed with endometriosis, guides us through chapters that highlight different ways the healthcare system remains biased against women. Sometimes it’s blatant, and sometimes it’s the classic, “That’s just how it’s always been.”

I appreciate that Jackson also focuses on the consequences of not just our health but our economic potential and time spent pursuing answers to “mysterious” conditions. There was much I didn’t know before picking up Jackson’s book, and now that I know (just get to her pages on the financial incentives of operating on men), I almost wish I didn’t. It’s a big system, but Jackson reminds us we’re not alone and that we can work together toward a better future.

The Gospel of Wellness by Rina Raphael

Had enough of Goop? Me too. And, let’s be fair, it’s not just Goop, as author and journalist Rina Raphael outlines in her book. Faced with few answers and fewer solutions for myriad health issues, women are apt to turn to “natural” or “traditional” medicine with abandon, leaving many susceptible to false marketing and fake products.

I say this as someone who’s more than benefited from seeing naturopaths. Not all natural medicine hurts, but some do, and we need more research and information to back up its claims and regulations on people who practice.

If you’ve ever found yourself pulled toward these spaces or wonder why others are, it’s well worth a read.

Ejaculate Responsibly by Gabrielle Blair

I saw this one sitting on a DC bookstore shelf. I snorted at the title, then sobered up after reading the jacket. Sometimes, books are a little too based on reality. I add this one because she exemplifies a well-thought-out reframe of abortion and female bodily agency that we’ve seen over and over again in the news post-Roe. It’s thought-provoking, to say the least, and I love how she organizes her argument.

Bonus: This one’s a fast read you could get through on a weekend afternoon.

The Invisible Kingdom by Meghan O’Rourke

I downloaded the audiobook of this one and would often find myself sitting on the couch late at night, listening to the author describe her years-long search for answers to what would be multiple autoimmune diagnoses. I’d not heard of a journey so close to mine, not in exact symptoms or timeline, but in the ongoing, crazy-making search for answers.

O’Rourke gives us a deeply personal window into her story that highlights the mental and emotional toll of enduring not only chronic illness but also the loneliness of the search. It’s one thing to say we’re not alone as women; it's another thing to read a book that reminds you of that on every page.

Eve by Cat Bohannon

One Wednesday morning this month, I attended an event at Elliott Bay Books for local booksellers to learn about the latest popular books for fall and winter. This was one of the presenters' top picks. Eve describes in great detail the history of the female body and investigates questions like, “Why are women more likely to get Alzheimer’s?” and others you hadn’t thought to consider.

If you’re more science-minded, you may prefer this over other books about women’s health, but even if you’re not, it’s still immensely readable.

Warning—you may also develop a strange sense of pride and admiration for the female body upon finishing.

So, what next?

Susan Stover and Karen Wells host a virtual, monthly book club for women’s health and femtech enthusiasts. You can sign up for updates on the next read and meeting times.

I’d also recommend LibroFM if you prefer purchasing audiobooks. Or, of course, your local library or indie bookstore.

What would you add to the list?

Send me a message to let me know!